Out of Our Control
by kg1507
Summary: TxG:They had never felt this way before.It was like a hidden part of them was set free from the moment they first sang together. What's this feeling they can't let go of, Why can't they stop thinking of the other? What's the real meaning of fate?
1. Moments Slipped Away

This is my first fanfic, hope everyone likes it... just so everyone knows, it might take awhile for me to update. I want to make this story as interesting as I can, and to do that, I need to spend a lot of time on one chapter. In the meantime though, I'd like it if everyone would review! Thanks!

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**Chapter 1: Moments Slipped Away**

Troy Bolton searched the crowd that was taking over the gym, trying to find her. He couldn't leave without seeing her one last time that night. He had to spend just a little more time with the girl who had taken over his never-resting thoughts, sending him to a world he never dreamed he could've been so unexpectedly thrust into. He didn't fully understand why he was so driven to find her in the sea of faces, each one smiling and excitedly discussing the two important events that had taken place that night - the victorious championship basketball game, and the performance no one would be likely to forget anytime soon… Troy and Gabriella's winter musical callback.

The school musicals had always been something to be proud of at East High, with it's wisely-chosen selections from the drama teacher, Mrs. Darbus, and the talented students who starred in them. For as long as anyone could remember, Sharpay and Ryan Evans had automatically landed the lead roles in every musical the school had put on. They had everything a good musical needs. They could sing in perfect harmony, their acting skills were captivating by all, they could transform their entire personality to fit that of their characters, making their performances so incredibly lifelike and real… they were made for theater, and everyone was absolutely positive this year's picking would be no different than the year before and all the previous years before that.

Everyone was caught off guard when the two most unlikely people showed up at tryouts, willing to sing together for the lead roles. Sharpay and Ryan had been the most shocked to learn there was a chance that their roles would be snatched out of their grasp and handed over to the newcomers, who'd had no experience whatsoever in performing school musicals. Troy Bolton - the basketball star, and Gabriella Montez - the freaky math girl, just didn't belong on the stage.

Everyone soon learned to accept them for who they really were and began to experiment and expand into different groups as well. The entire school was transformed because of two people, just trying to let the world see them in a way different than who everyone wanted them to be. And much to Sharpay's dismay, Troy and Gabriella won the lead roles of Arnold and Minnie.

Troy continued to hunt for Gabriella, politely pushing past people, keeping his eyes open for Gabriella. After almost half an hour of searching, he wandered out of the gym down a familiar hallway, his high spirits sinking slightly.

He climbed up the stairs wearily, feeling his energy drain with every step. The basketball game had taken a lot out of him, and singing on stage in front of half the school drained almost all of his energy. Somehow, he found the strength to climb the last stair and push the doors open to the roof of his secret hiding place. He jumped with sudden surprise when he laid eyes on none other than Gabriella, leaning forward on the balcony and staring into the distance. She was obviously completely unaware of Troy's presence.

Troy felt his stomach turn. He quickly ran his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it down. He could feel it sticking back up and finally let it be, hoping it didn't look too bad. Then as he straightened his jacket, he took a deep breath and made his way towards her.

"Looks like we both had the same idea of where to hide." Troy said casually.

Gabriella turned around at the sound of his voice and smiled. "Great minds think alike I guess." She said as she watched him stand next to her.

Troy put his hands in his pockets as he smiled. "I had a hard time getting away from everyone. It's a mob scene back there."

"Tell me about it." Gabriella said. "People I didn't even know were coming up to me and giving me compliments, asking if they could hang out sometime like we were best friends."

"Does this mean I can't tell you how amazing you were tonight?" Troy asked.

Gabriella blushed and looked down.

Taking one hand out of his pocket, he lifted her chin to look at him. Gabriella's heart began to pump at the feel of his warm hand on her face.

"You were amazing tonight." Troy said softly. "You shined like the brightest star in the sky. You sang so beautifully and perfectly and flawlessly. You conquered your fears, you rose above the status quo, you showed them all that you can be anyone you want to be. You were so incredible, I can't find words great enough to express it."

Gabriella's face grew warmer and warmer with each word he spoke. Her instinct tried to force her face down out of pleased embarrassment, but she found that with Troy holding her gaze, there was no way she could.

Silently, Troy pulled his hand away from her chin and stuffed it back in his pocket, afraid he had said too much. He didn't know what he was feeling at that moment, and he didn't know why he felt this way.

"Troy…" Gabriella said. "No one's ever said anything like that to me before. No one's ever taken the chance to get to know me, to look behind the stack of books and see the girl hiding behind them. No one's ever tried to see me for anything but a math freak… No one but you." She took a step closer to him. "Why me Troy?" Gabriella asked tentatively.

Troy was frozen with fear. He had never been filled with so many words, and yet so at a loss for them. There was so much he could say, but what if he said too much and something went horribly wrong? He looked down and gulped, knowing she was waiting for an answer. Looking back up, his eyes connected with hers, making him shake inwardly. At that instant, he suddenly found the words pouring out of his mouth in an unplanned rush.

"Why?" He said. "That's not the right question to be asking, Gabriella. If you would look at yourself in the mirror, really look, you'd see all the reasons why someone would want to be with you. You're beautiful, not just on the outside, but on the inside as well. When you smile, I can't help but smile. When you laugh, the world seems to be laughing too. When you walk into a room, all eyes should be on you, not the plastic Barbie doll girls we see everyday. Because you're not plastic, you're real. Gabriella, 'why?' is not the question. The real question here, is 'why not?.'"

He took a deep breath and looked at her. Her eyes were wide and shiny and she seemed to be shaking as well. Although he couldn't hear it, her heart was pounding a mile a minute.

"Troy… I… I don't think I mentioned anyone wanting to be with me." She said shakily.

Troy couldn't breathe. _Oh no… what've I done? _He thought to himself. He hadn't meant for that much feeling and passion to explode from his mind, it just happened. He hadn't felt any doubt or hesitation in his words though. He believed in them one-hundred percent. They had come to him like the most natural thing in the world.

Gabriella turned back towards the balcony, staring at the stars. She didn't want to look at him, for she knew her cheeks were red. "Right before I came up here, a guy asked me out." She said slowly.

Troy was so surprised by the randomness of this statement that he couldn't speak for a moment. When the words finally sank in, he felt his heart pummel towards the ground. "Oh?" He said quietly.

"He just walked up to me, out of the blue, and asked me to go to a movie sometime." Gabriella said incredulously. "I don't even know his name… it's just so weird, I mean, no one's ever asked me out before. I never expected it to be like that."

"What did you say?" Troy asked as he stared at her intently.

Gabriella looked up, eyes shining with stars in her eyes. "I said no, Troy."

Troy almost breathed a sigh of relief. Then a thought came to him. "But, uh, why? I mean, I'm sure he's a good guy… and, he could be… um… nice."

"He might." Gabriella said thoughtfully. Troy was suddenly afraid he had talked her into changing her mind.

"But he's not the guy for me." Gabriella finished.

"How do you know?" Troy asked. "After barely meeting him, you decide without another thought he's not the right guy?" Troy wanted to kick himself as soon as the words left his mouth. Why couldn't he just shut up?

Gabriella paused before she spoke again. "I don't know how I know. I guess… when you meet someone, you automatically feel something - something different from anything you've ever felt for anyone else. It's like a new part of you that's been set free in that first moment of meeting the right person. And… I didn't feel it with that guy.

Troy was silent, and then slowly reached for her hand before setting it down on the balcony, inches away from her own. "Have you… have you felt that feeling yet?" He asked softly.

Before Gabriella could answer him, the door to the roof flew open, causing both of them to jump apart.

Troy's dad appeared. "Troy, come on son. We gotta get going. They're about to lock up in a few minutes."

"Ok dad…" Troy said.

" Oh, and congratulations again, Miss. Montez." Mr. Bolton said with a smile.

Gabriella smiled sadly. "Thanks."

The door closed and all was silent once more. Troy and Gabriella looked at each other, each feeling awkward at the interruption.

"Well, I guess we should get going." Gabriella said, beginning to walk towards the stairs.

"Yeah." Troy replied as he followed her "Second time today." He said under his breath.

They walked out of the school, each silently wishing they could have just a little more time with each other. They reached the edge of the sidewalk and stopped, turning towards the other.

"Troy…" Gabriella began.

"Gabriella! Come on honey, it's time to go!" Mrs. Montez said from the parking lot.

"Ok, I'm coming!" Gabriella said resentfully. She looked at Troy sadly and then smiled. "I just want to say thanks, for what you said up there. And for everything… I-"

"Troy! Let's go!" Mr. Bolton said from their car.

"In a minute!" Troy said. He looked back at her. "I should be the one saying thanks. You helped me in ways I can't even begin to explain. Because of you, I'm not just the basketball guy. I'm -"

"So much more." Gabriella finished without thinking.

Troy smiled sheepishly, looking down to the ground for a moment. "What I mean to say is -"

"GABRIELLA!"

"I'm coming!" Gabriella yelled back.

"TROY!"

"Ok!" Troy said to his dad. He looked at Gabriella one final time. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." He said, wishing his dad were more patient.

Gabriella wished the same for her mom. "Yeah, ok… bye Troy."

Troy took her hand in his own and gently kissed her cheek. Giving her one more smile, he took off and jogged towards his dad, leaving her speechless.

Gabriella walked to her mother's car, trying to hide her smile and failing. As she got in, her mother smiled. "Troy is a very nice boy. I approve."

"Mom!" Gabriella exclaimed, feeling herself grow hot. She was about explain that she and Troy were just really good friends and that there was no reason to think differently. But as she touched the spot where he had kissed her, she smiled and couldn't bring herself to voice those unspeakable words.


	2. Confusion and Fears

Well, I was so happy about getting my first 10 reviews so quickly that I decided to write another chapter faster than I expected. I have the third chapter all planned out, so I should have it on in a few days, depending on when I get time to write. I'm on spring break right now, and I have a whole week off, so chances are I'll get at least two more chapters up sometime this week. Thanks for the reviews! You guys rock!

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**Chapter 2: Confusion and Fears**

Gabriella opened her locker the next morning and began to grab books for her first class. The school was still talking about Troy and Gabriella, and they seemed to be the main subject of many of the student's conversations. As they walked past, they pointed at Gabriella and would whisper quietly with admiring smiles on their faces, like she were a famous movie star gracing the common people with her presence. Gabriella barely noticed the stares she was now attracting. Her mind wandered back to last night with Troy and the sweetly-spoken words he had wove for her. A small smile formed on her face as she reminisced and she felt her cheeks grow warmer when she remembered the feel of his soft lips on her cheek. She had spent most of the night dreaming of that moment, but nothing could compare to the actual reality.

She awoke from her daydream when she noticed a white envelope fluttering out of her locker and landing on the floor. Gabriella picked it up and found her name inscribed on it in neat, curvy letters. Curious, she opened it and began to read its contents. As her eyes traveled down the page, her heart began beating faster and daunting fear traveled throughout her body. Quickly finishing the ominous letter, she crumbled it up, threw it into her locker and slammed the door shut. A weight fell into her stomach as she came to terms with what was happening.

"Oh my God…"

Troy quickened his pace on the way to his first class, anxious not to be late. Despite the fact that he and Gabriella had succeeded in obtaining the lead roles in the musical, he was still positive that he wouldn't be getting any slack from Mrs. Darbus. Nodding slightly to those who called out his name on their way, he began to jog. He too was receiving awing glances from his fellow peers, although he paid no attention to them whatsoever. Being the 'basketball guy', he had gotten so many stares in one day that he was pretty much used to them by now. Half of his thoughts were on getting to class, while the other were preoccupied with reveries of Gabriella. He was unaware of what had occurred between them the other night or what their conversation would've led to, had they not been interrupted, but he did know that he had felt something completely different up on the roof with her - something he wasn't quite sure of, and yet, so familiar and right that he only felt when he was with her. He could recite every word said between them by heart, for he had spent most of the night wondering if he should've said this, or what would've happened if he had worded that differently. After awhile though, his what-ifs faded away into nothing and he finally got to sleep. Unfortunately, his restless thoughts came back to him as he awoke the next morning, and he had begun to spend his time rethinking of hidden meanings in Gabriella's words that he might've looked over before.

As if on cue, Gabrielle came into view farther in front of him.

"Gabriella!" Troy called out. She seemed not to hear him and continued walking by.

"Hey! Wait up!" He called. Pushing his way past the horde of rushing students, he finally caught up. He reached out a few inches and touched her warm shoulder, eager and nervous about talking to her after last night.

Gabriella spun around at his touch, a look of pure terror on her face. When she realized it was only Troy, she breathed a sigh of relief. Troy was taken aback by this and a disconcerted look emerged upon him.

"Hey, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Troy said as he gently took her hand. They were as cold as ice.

Gabriella forced a smile. Her comely visage was now pallid and white with panic. "I'm fine." She said as she avoided eye contact. A moment of silence passed between them. "We're gonna be late for class." She said as she began to walk away.

"Whoa, hold on." Troy said as he turned her around to face him. "Are you sick or something? Maybe you should go see the nurse."

"Troy, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Gabriella said as she shrugged his hand off. Not looking back, she turned around and bolted down the hall before Troy could utter another word. He stared off after her, flummoxed and uncertain if she was telling the truth. He then made his way down the hall after her and entered his class seconds before the bell rang.

He took his seat quietly, looking behind him. Gabriella wasn't there. Turning back around, he became increasingly perturbed.

"Good morning Mr. Bolton," Mrs. Darbus said as she stood in front of his desk.

Troy nodded his head, not fully aware of who was speaking to him. His thoughts weren't focused on anything but the secrets he knew Gabriella was keeping from him, and why she refused to let him in.

Gabriella's disappearances continued throughout the week. Troy hadn't seen as much as a glance of her, and neither had Chad or Kelsi. It seemed like she had just disappeared into thin air. Troy had tried everything to find her, but hadn't succeeded in getting anywhere.

Troy tried calling her cell phone countless times a day, desperate to talk to her. He never got a call back, despite the 8 messages he had left during the four days that had passed since her absence. The weekend passed and Troy made no further attempt to contact Gabriella. He had come to the conclusion that there was a reason she wouldn't return his calls. If she didn't want to share that reason with him, it was her own business. Not his. And although it hurt to stay away, he knew there was nothing else he could do but wait.

Basketball practice continued on, even though the East High Wildcats had won the championships. Coach Bolton wanted to prepare his team for the biggest game yet, much bigger than a high school game - state championships. To do that, he worked the team harder than ever, practicing new drills every day and he expected everyone to learn them instantly. They had no time to waste, and if there was one thing that made Coach Bolton angry, it was slackers.

Troy picked a basketball off the gym floor and dribbled his way to the net. Laying it up, he took a shot, only to have to hit the rim and fly in the opposite direction. Scowling, he picked up another and tried to make a three-pointer. Miss. He moved up to the two-point line and tried again. The ball hit the backboard and bounced to the left, the deafening sound echoing throughout the gym. Troy then stood on the very side of the net and took a one-point shot. The ball sailed over the hoop and promptly hit one of his teammates in the back of the head. Troy muttered a quick apology while Chad looked at him in disbelief.

"Dude, what's wrong with you? You're game… it… it just -"

"Sucks, I know." Troy finished as he took a seat on the bleachers. He opened a bottle of water and took a deep gulp.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I've seen my 6-year old cousin could play better than you." Chad said as he grabbed a bottle. "And he doesn't lower his net."

Troy gave him a menacing glare and looked away.

"What's wrong?" Chad asked. When Troy didn't answer, Chad understood. "Gabriella?" He questioned.

Troy sighed. "She still hasn't called me back. It's been a week since I've seen her… Gabriella would never miss this much of her classes unless she was really sick, but Taylor told me she's been in her biology class. She tried to talk to her for me, but she'd leave the room in a hurry and Taylor couldn't find her… it makes me wonder if she's avoiding me."

"Troy, Gabriella is a girl." Chad said.

"Oh, wow, didn't know that one until now." Troy said sarcastically.

Chad shoved him. "I mean, she's different from us. She goes through phases… like… say you have an issue about something that's been bugging you. What would you do?" He didn't let him answer. "You go grab a pack of soda and chips, invite the guys over, and watch basketball. By the time you're through the third soda and your second bag of chips, the problem's forgotten and you're the same old Troy Bolton. Now girls, they're much more complex. When they've got a problem, they go to every single person available and ask their opinion. Friends, family, the guy fixing your air conditioning, anyone that's moving or breathing. And they cry."

"What?" Troy said.

"Oh yeah, they're human waterfalls when they've got a problem." Chad said. "Tears just gush out of their sockets, sobbing uncontrollably into their pillows, wondering how they're going to get through. They're miserable my friend."

Troy felt awful as he pictured a crying Gabriella on her bed, her entire face soaked with tears. "Chad, please tell me this ends well."

"So anyway," Chad said as he ignored him. "After the said crying is done, they work it out on their own, because everyone else's opinion wasn't what they wanted to hear. Eventually, they find the right solution and everything is right in the world until the next problem comes up. And that, Troy, is what separates us from women. We solve problems in an instant, girls drag it on for weeks and weeks on end." There was a long silence between the two of them as Chad took a sip of his water.

"Chad, how do you even know all that?" Troy asked, unsure if he wanted the answer.

"Hey. My mom's a psychiatrist." Chad said. " Sometimes I listen in on her sessions and pick up juicy tidbits along the way. It's what makes the ladies think I'm so sensitive." He clutched his heart and laughed along with Troy.

"Seriously man, I think you just need to give Gabriella some space. Everyone handles their problems differently than others. Maybe her solution is secluding herself from the world until she's figured everything out on her own. She'll talk to you when she's ready. Meanwhile, get your head in the game! We've got state championships coming up in a few months. No time to waste!" Saying this, he picked up a ball and threw it at Troy. He caught it with ease and forced a smile.

Throughout the rest of the practice, Troy's thoughts remained on Gabriella and Chad's sermon on the inner workings of a girl's mind. He didn't find it very comforting knowing there was a possibility that it might take weeks for Gabriella to talk to him again, plus the fact that he had failed in attempting to be there for her if she was indeed dealing with something she felt she couldn't share with anyone. His performance didn't improve for the remainder of the practice, which displeased both Troy and his dad.

As the team was dismissed, Troy lagged behind and picked up a ball. He began to shoot free throws, each time missing pathetically. Chad stood at the door of the gym, watching him desperately try to make a basket. Shaking his head sadly, he left, heading into the locker room.

Troy heard the doors slam shut and watched his friend's curly hair disappear down the hallway. He picked up one more ball and carefully stood at the three-point line. He positioned himself so he was standing in perfect line with the hoop. Holding the ball above his head, he closed his eyes. He pictured Gabriella in his mind's eye, smiling with a face like an angel's and her eyes shimmering like the intense, ever-burning sun. He pictured her the way he had seen her the first time they met. Amazing, beautiful, captivating… reserved, but compelling.

With this image fresh in his mind, he opened his eyes and thrust the ball towards the basket. It swished into the net and fell to the ground, bouncing a few times before it remained immobile.

Troy smiled with triumph. Picking the ball up, he placed it on the rack and began to head for the locker room, feeling his worries lessen. _I'll find her. _Troy thought to himself. _Everything will be fine. _


	3. I'm Here Now

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**Chapter 3: I'm Here Now**

Footsteps echoed down the empty hallway, increasing their speed with each step. It was quiet and still, no noise to be heard anywhere as almost everyone had gone home for the evening. Everyone except Gabriella.

For the entire week, she had been picking different routes to her classes, avoiding everyone at all costs. She hadn't spoken to Taylor at all, and hadn't seen Troy in days. She hated how she hid from him, frightened of what he would say if he knew what was going on. She hated that she couldn't tell him, and how scared she was for herself. Gabriella longed for nothing more than to talk to him again. It had seemed more like a month than a week since she had last heard his voice. Gabriella knew he was worried and confused, but she couldn't talk to him just yet, no matter how much she wanted to. She didn't know what to do anymore.

Gabriella nervously glanced over her shoulder every few seconds, wondering if she was imagining the second pair of footsteps ricocheting behind her. She always felt like she was being followed, like someone was always watching her every move. It made her feel so violated and as if she had no privacy. She didn't feel safe any longer, not even in her own home. She barely slept at night, watching the tightly-drawn curtains of her balcony moving back and forth from the wind. More than once she could've sworn she had seen a figure standing at her window, watching her…

Gabriella quickly entered the gym just as she saw the side door closing behind someone. Pausing, she waited until she was sure they weren't coming back in, and then started to make her way across the floor to the parking lot just outside the back door. She had been telling her mother she was staying late after school to help out a few students with algebra, which was of course a lie. She figured that he wouldn't still be there after school hours… at least, she hoped he wouldn't.

Gabriella quickened her pace, anxious to get out of there, when she suddenly felt the strap to her bag grow taut. She turned around quickly and gasped as she saw a very tall boy standing right behind her with a smug grin on his face. He had sandy-colored hair and dark chestnut eyes that seemed to bore into Gabriella's hazel ones. He was brawny, but not over-muscular. Still, the sight of his muscles would frighten anybody who was unlucky enough to get in his way.

"Gabriella Montez…" The boy said with the same grin.

Gabriella narrowed her eyes slightly. "Do I know you?" She asked as she took a small step backwards.

He moved forward the same step. "Vince. Vince Harper. Captain of the football team, holder of the highest GPA in East High…"

Gabriella shook her head. "Sorry, I still don't -"

"Maybe this," Vince said as he reached into his jacket. "Will jog your memory." Slowly, he pulled his hand from the pocket and revealed a small white envelope, with Gabriella's name written on the front… in neat, curvy letters.

Gabriella felt her body go numb as her eyes laid on it. She couldn't breathe, and her voice became shaky with horror. "I-It's you." She quavered. "Y-You're the one w-who's been -"

"Admiring you from a distance?" Vince said as he fingered the envelope. "Or, actually, from right behind you?" He smiled maliciously as he began to advance on her.

Gabriella took another step back. "What do you want? Why are you doing this to me?"

"What do I want?" Vince said as he stopped moving. "There's a lot I want, Gabriella. I want to win a full-ride scholarship for football so my mom won't have to worry about not being able to pay for college. " He took another step closer. "I want to play in the Super Bowl and win the title of the greatest player there ever was." His face grew livid with anger as he kicked the bleacher beside him, making Gabriella jump.

"I want to see my pathetic father crawl on his knees, begging me to forgive him for leaving when I needed him!" Vince screamed at her.

Gabriella began to turn around to run, but Vince grabbed hold of her shoulders, forcing her to stop. She struggled in his arms, but he was too strong for her. He pushed her against the wall and held her there, pressing down on her arms powerfully. She whimpered in pain and stopped resisting, too afraid to scream. His face was inches away from hers, she could feel his hot breath on her face and saw sweat trickling down his cheek and neck.

"When I first heard you sing," Vince said, calming down slightly. "I felt no pain of the past. I felt no hurt or anger or suffering for what I've gone through in my life. You calmed me, Gabriella. You made me feel something I've never felt before."

"Y-You stalked me." Gabriella said with a quavering voice.

"No, no…" Vince said as he lifted one hand to roughly stroke her hair. "No, I didn't. I need to be with you Gabriella." His voice rose again and he held her down even more intensely, causing Gabriella to gasp with pain. Vince leaned forward so that their lips were almost touching. "I can't ignore it any longer." He whispered urgently. Before Gabriella could say anything else, he kissed her hard, barely letting her breathe. Gabriella tried to push him off, but she was no match against his strength. Gabriella wanted to scream, but her voice was gone. She wanted to slap him as hard as she could, but her muscles felt like jello. She had never felt weaker than in that moment, and all she could do at that moment was pray for someone to save her.

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"Hey, Troy, did you hear something?" Chad asked as he took of his damp t-shirt and threw it into his gym bag.

Troy glanced around the locker room for his own bag, having no luck. "I don't think so. Why?"

"I thought I heard someone yelling in the gym." Chad said as he pulled on a fresh shirt and shorts. "Guess it was just my imagination."

Troy didn't answer, still looking for his bag. His mind ambled back to Gabriella for what must've been the hundredth time that afternoon. The same thoughts flew through his mind over and over again. Where was she? What was wrong? Why wouldn't she talk to him?

"Chad, I'm going to talk to her today." Troy said as he sat down next to him.

"Who? Gabriella?" Chad asked as he tried to force a large comb through his matted hair. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes." Troy said without hesitation. "I need to see her, Chad. I can't take it anymore. I need to know why she's not talking to me. Plus, we have practice for the musical coming up next week. If she's not there, I don't know what I'm gonna do."

Chad winced as he pulled a small clump of hair from his comb and rubbed his head, trying to soothe the pain. He looked up at Troy. "Troy, can I ask you something? Something… personal?"

Troy nodded slowly. "Uh… sure. What?"

"Listen, I've known you all my life, and I've never seen you so crazy and messed up about a girl before. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you go crazy over _any_ girl, and that's just not normal for the average teenage guy." Chad said as Troy smiled awkwardly. "Just hear me out when I say this, ok?" Troy nodded. "Troy, do you have feelings for Gabriella?"

Troy felt his cheeks redden and he turned his head from Chad. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"You know what I mean." Chad said.

Troy was quiet for a moment, trying to think of an answer. He knew he had been feeling different lately, more different than he had ever felt before. When he was with Gabriella, he felt like he was flying. He felt a natural high inside him, something much deeper than the thrill of a basketball game. And when he wasn't with her, he felt a vast hole inside him, like something was missing. Gabriella definitely made him feel something new, but was it really deeper than friendship?

Troy sighed. "I don't know, Chad. I just… I don't know." And with that, he exited the locker room and headed back to the gym to find his bag.

_What's wrong with me? _Troy thought to himself angrily. _Why am I feeling so… so… God, I don't even know how I'm feeling! _Troy shook his head, hoping something would come to him, but nothing did. He walked slower, biding his time before he had to face his dad at home and hear him lecture him on what an awful practice he had today. That was the last thing he needed.

He came to the gym doors and stopped as he heard something. Freezing, he pressed his head to the door and listened harder.

"STOP!" A voice yelled in distress.

Troy knew that voice. He'd know it anywhere. Pushing the door open, he rushed into the gym, frantically looking for her. His eyes landed on a large figure, standing over a smaller figure, and forcing himself on it. As he shifted to the side, Troy realized with horror that the smaller figure was Gabriella. Troy didn't waste another second. He sprinted towards them, gaining speed with each stride until he was right behind them.

Grabbing the boy's shoulder, he furiously pulled him off Gabriella and onto the floor where he flew forward a few feet. Troy had never been so angry in all his life. His breath came out quickly and forcefully as he watched the boy get up. When he reached his full height Troy's insides began to squirm as he realized he was about to fight Vince Harper, the football captain. New fear took hold of his mind as Vince towered over him, frothing at the mouth.

"Troy Bolton." Vince spit out. "Twinkle-town boy. Why don't you get out of here before you get hurt?" Without giving Troy the leisure of answering him, he punched him in the mouth, causing Troy to fall backwards onto the floor.

"Troy!" Gabriella yelled.

Troy glanced at her, but made the wrong move. Vince came at him again with another punch, leaving Troy senseless. He woozily got up and faced him, barely ducking another blow. He threw a punch at him, but missed. Vince took hold of his outstretched arm and vehemently pulled him to the ground, kicking his side.

"Stop! Don't hurt him!" Gabriella screamed as she tried to pull Vince away. Vince easily grabbed her and pinned her arms to her side, a look of pure venom on his already fuming face.

"Stay out of this, and I promise we'll pick up where we left off." Vince said ferociously. He aggressively pushed her backwards and Gabriella collided with the wall, making a loud sickening noise as she sunk to the ground. She clutched her arm and cried out in anguish as she closed her eyes tightly, wincing with pain.

Troy instantly jumped to his feet. "HOW DARE YOU!" Troy screamed with rage as he punched an unexpected Vince in the stomach, causing him to stagger. "How DARE you touch her!" He punched him again in the mouth. He fell to the floor."How dare you speak to her!" He kicked him in the side as Vince writhed in pain. "How DARE you hurt her!" Troy reached down with both hands and lifted half of Vince up by his shirt, anger surging through his blood in every vein. "Don't you ever come near her again. DO YOU HEAR ME?" Troy roared.

Vince nodded hurriedly, the look of terror now residing on _his_ face.

"Good." Troy said heatedly. He raised him up a few inches and looked him straight in the eye. "Now _get out._"

Vince didn't wait around to hear him twice. He swiftly got to his feet and rushed towards the exit. He bolted through the doors and continued running, not once looking back at Troy who was coldly watching him flee.

Troy waited until Vince was definitely not coming back before rushing over to a frightened and shivering Gabriella.

"Gabriella…" Troy said softly, all traces of anger leaving his face and replacing them with concern. "Are you ok?" He gently lifted her chin, barely touching her, aching to look at her again. Her face was freezing cold with a mixture of shock and fright. She had never seen Troy so frantic and violent before, and to be truthful, it scared her.

But as her eyes connected with his, she saw the same old Troy full of gentleness and warmth, who she knew would never treat her the way Vince had.

Cruel, uncaring, and heartless. Sobbing uncontrollably, she threw her arms around Troy and clung to his shirt tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks. Troy accepted the embrace and slowly helped her up off the floor. Gabriella's legs immediately collapsed underneath her and Troy eased her up, letting her place her full weight on him. He led her over to the bleachers and sat her down, pulling back from their embrace. Gabriella was still shaking irrepressibly.

"Shh, Gabriella, it's ok." Troy said as he moved closer to her. He put one hand on her cheek and the other touched her hand lightly, not wanting to make her feel any more violated than she already undoubtedly felt. "It's over, it's over. He's not going to hurt you anymore."

More tears fell down Gabriella's face. "Troy, I-I was so scared. I thought h-he was going to - "

"I know, I know," Troy said. "It's ok. He's gone now. I'm here…" Troy said softly as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I'm here…"

Gabriella looked up and her eyes linked with his again. She could feel his hand on her own, tentatively skimming it as if he were afraid to touch her. Her stomach turned at this action, touched by his consideration for her own feelings. Not taking her eyes off his, she quietly turned her hand over and took his in her own and held it, feeling her entire body grow hot at its warmth.

"Thank you." Gabriella whispered. A small smile formed, and Troy smiled back. He had waited so long to see that smile again.

"How's your arm?" Troy asked as he lifted it up. He stopped suddenly, realizing he was touching her without her consent. He looked at her, silently asking her permission. Gabriella nodded without reluctance and let him pull back her sleeve. A large purple bruise was beginning to appear, but it didn't look broken or sprained.

"You should have ice on that." Troy said. He got up from the bleacher and found the first aid kit in one of the seats his dad always brought to practice. He opened it up and took out a small vacuum-sealed bag filled with ice. He hit it on the side of the bleacher a few times and gave it to Gabriella, who held it to her head. She closed her eyes in relief and sighed with content. When she opened them again, she gasped.

"Troy! You're hurt…" Gabriella said as she became aware of his swelling lip.

"What?" Troy said. "Oh, it's noth-"

Gabriella didn't let him finish. She took her icepack off her arm and moved closer to him. Slowly, she put one hand behind his head, feeling his soft locks of hair through the spaces in her fingers. Edging herself a few inches closer, she delicately placed the icepack on the edge of his lip.

"Mmm…" Troy said as he closed his eyes. "That feels good…"

Gabriella swallowed nervously. "Really?"

"Yeah…" Troy said, barely audible. He sighed, and then opened his eyes to look at Gabriella. She seemed closer than before…

"Troy!"

Gabriella started, pulling the ice away from his face. Troy turned around and saw Chad and two of his other teammates standing at the door.

"Dude, what happened to you?" Chad said as they jogged over. Chad saw Gabriella's arm, which was now beginning to swell up as well. "Oh my, Gabriella, what'd you do to your arm?" He asked with concern.

Gabriella sighed as she and Troy exchanged glances before he looked down at the floor, too embarrassed to look her in the eye.

Gabriella looked down as well, feeling a mixture of emotions in her stomach and heart, half of which were making her elated, while the other half brought her to a discouraged and empty state. "It's a long story…"

* * *

I really liked writing this chapter. It shows a whole new, protective side of Troy that he never even knew he had before he met Gabriella, and I thought it came out nicely. Just so there's no confusion, the guy who asked Gabriella out in ch. 1 and Vince Harper aren't the same guy. Two completely different people. The guy in ch. 1 just had enough sense not to stalk Gabriella, otherwise he would've had to face the wrath of Troy : P. I know most of you are mad at me for interrupting Troy and Gabriella's romantic scene YET AGAIN, but trust me, they will have their day... in a few more chapters... 


	4. Tomorrow

**Chapter 4: Tomorrow**

If the school hadn't already had enough to talk about, it did now. Gabriella's incident with Vince spread like wildfire. In less than a day, the entire school knew all the details. Their eyes grew wide with fear when they heard that Vince had forcefully attacked Gabriella and had stalked her past school hours, they were awestruck as they listened to others tell how Troy had come to Gabriella's rescue, destroying Vince in the process. Many of the girls now looked at Troy, spellbound by his physique, and would stare him down eagerly.

"He's not a piece of meat…" Gabriella would irritably say to Taylor, who would just smile knowingly and nod.

Troy and Gabriella had gone straight to the principal the next day, informing him of how dangerous his football captain really was. As proof that they weren't weaving some tale to get a fellow classmate in trouble, Gabriella revealed her bruise, which had now turned a deep shade of bluish-purple, and also, the letters Vince had sent her. The principal read them, and as his eyes narrowed and widened as he finished them off, he told them that this was not the first time he had heard of Vince doing something like this. Although, he said, he should've expelled him a long time ago, he never thought he could be capable of such treachery. But now, since they had solid proof, he would be expelled immediately. Much to Gabriella's relief, he indeed had been taken care of. Just to be completely safe from harm, Gabriella's mother filed for a restraining order against Vince that forbade him to be anywhere within five hundred yards of Gabriella.

Meanwhile, the musical practices had begun and most of Troy and Gabriella's time was now devoted to the stage. Practices only lasted a few hours after school, but once opening day drew nearer, they would be prolonged to all-night practices, ending somewhere early in the morning. Troy and Gabriella didn't mind one bit though. They had worked hard for this, and intended to do the best they could, no matter what the cost. The only one who was less than thrilled with the arrangement was an envious blonde, watching every practice bitterly in the shadows.

* * *

Sharpay Evans sat resentfully in a seat at the very back of the auditorium, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. She was watching Troy and Gabriella singing their duet for Mrs. Darbus, who was positively beaming with delight. Sharpay growled angrily as Troy and Gabriella really got into the song, moving closer to each other and singing as if their emotions of their characters were real.

This wasn't supposed to happen. It was supposed to be _her_ up there, singing in the spotlight like she had been doing for years. _She_ was supposed to be on stage, swirling and twirling and smiling and grabbing the glory. _She_ was supposed to be on the receiving end of all the raves and compliments and awe-filled stares. This was _her_ thing. Not Gabriella's.

_She_ was supposed to be the girl Troy couldn't keep his eyes off of.

The door opened and a petite brunette in a white mini skirt and pink tank top walked over to Sharpay, clearly unaware that she was hiding.

"Hey, where've you been? I've been looking for you everywhere!" The girl said loudly.

"Shh! Allison, shut up! Quick, get down!" Sharpay said as she pulled her down into a seat next to her.

"Ooo, someone's spying…" Allison whispered with a grin.

"Not spying," Sharpay said. "Just here for practice."

"As an understudy." Allison pointed out. "You don't really need to be here."

"Yes I do!" Sharpay snapped. "They don't realize what a huge mistake they're making, and I'm going to be here when they finally figure it out." Her eyes turned from her friend and back to Troy, who had stopped singing and was listening intently to the tips Mrs. Darbus was giving him. He looked so hot when he was serious…

"I think there's another reason why you're here." Allison said. When Sharpay didn't answer, she took hold of Sharpay's head and turned it to face her. "You're here because of Troy."

"You're an idiot, Allison." Said Sharpay.

"Oh please," Allison said as she rolled her eyes. "You've had eyes for Troy since elementary school, don't tell me those feelings haven't changed."

Sharpay smiled and felt her cheeks blush.

"Look, I don't wanna bring you down or anything, but you need to face it sooner or later. Troy Bolton's not into you. He never has, never will. There are so many guys who fall over you when you walk by. There's six hundred people in this school, and all you can think about is Troy Bolton? I mean, he's good-looking and all, but there's so many others you could choose from." Allison said.

"No, Allie," Sharpay said softly. "This one's different. I've never felt this way around anyone but him." She turned to look at her. "I can't just let that go… I've always had a knack for getting what I want." She smiled spitefully, all traces of tenderness disappearing as she began to stare at Troy again. "I want Troy Bolton… and I don't intend on being denied."

* * *

"All right Mr. Bolton, Miss. Montez, that'll be enough for today. Both of you need to work on the second act a little more, and Troy, for goodness sakes, work on memorizing your lines! Honestly, you should've had at least the first act memorized last week!" Mrs. Darbus said exasperatedly as she headed for the door.

"Tell my dad that… if you dare." Troy muttered under his breath. Gabriella giggled and stuffed her script in her bag, making a deal of tightening the strap to perfection.

Troy stood, watching her. He was mesmerized as her long hair gently cascaded down her back, creating a sort of veil around her head when she leaned over. She gently pushed it behind her ear and looked up at Troy.

"Is something wrong, Troy?" Gabriella asked, breaking his transfixed gaze.

"N-no, everything's perfect." Troy stammered.

"Oh… ok then. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Gabriella said, a little disappointed.

"Yeah, tomorrow." Troy said as Gabriella walked past him. He turned and watched her graceful walk down the middle of the auditorium. Suddenly, without thinking, he jumped off the stage and ran after her.

"Gabriella?" He called.

Gabriella turned around, surprised to see him right behind her. "Yeah?"

Troy became tongue-tied and gulped apprehensively. "Um, well, I… I was just wondering…"

"Yes?" Gabriella asked as she took a step closer anxiously gripping her bag with anticipation.

"I just… wanted to know if… you might, want to come over tomorrow evening… to my house. Maybe we could watch some movies or something." Troy said slowly.

Gabriella's heart beat quicker and she smiled. "I'd love to, Troy."

"Great!" Troy said enthusiastically. "Um, how about you just come over right after school?"

"Yeah, that's, that's fine." Gabriella said as she felt her hands grow cold while her face felt like an oven.

"Ok, well, I uh… I'll see you tomorrow." Troy said. Without another word, he rushed out the door, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Gabriella stared after him until he was out of sight. As she closed her eyes and silently said a prayer of thanks, she sighed, feeling more excited and joyful by the second.

"Tomorrow…"

* * *

Sorry this chapter's shorter than usual. I had writers block this morning and I couldn't figure out where to introduce Sharpay... and now I need to find someplace to put Taylor... for all you Kelsi-lovers, sorry, but she's probably not going to have a big part in this fanfic. The next chapter is going to be good, trust me. It's the first stepping stone of Troy figuring out what his feelings towards Gabriella really are, and Gabriella... well, let's just say that Gabriella uses more actions than words in the next chapter ; ) 


	5. Actions Speak Louder than Words

**Chapter 5: Actions Speak Louder than Words**

"You know what I think we need?" Taylor said to Gabriella as they sat down in the cafeteria.

"What?" Gabriella asked as she took a bite out of her sandwich.

"A girl's night out, just you and me." Taylor said with a grin. "I barely get to hang out with you anymore because of this musical thing, and although I support you one hundred percent," Taylor added quickly as Gabriella gave her a warning look. "I still miss you."

Gabriella smiled. "I know, and I'm sorry. Things have been getting a little hectic at practice. Mrs. Darbus wants us to start staying later than usual to work on our lines. She seems to think the musical's going to be in a week instead of three months."

"Three months?" Taylor exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that you're gonna be busy with practices and rehearsals for another _three months_? You've got to be joking."

"Nope…" Gabriella said lamentably as she took a sip of her soda.

Taylor pondered on this for a moment, then her dismal expression suddenly transformed. "Well, we'll just have to do it tonight. You don't have practice, do you?"

Gabriella sighed, unhappy to be disappointing her friend. "Well, actually, I do… but it's only until four."

Taylor's expression didn't change. "Well, that's great! It's Friday, you can just come to my house afterwards and spend the night. I have every sappy love story with every hot guy in the history of the world in them. We'll never be bored."

"I…I can't go…" Gabriella said softly as she looked away.

Taylor's face fell. "What? Why?"

"I'm, uh… sort of going to Troy's tonight. He asked if I wanted to come over for a few hours to watch movies with him, and I already said yes… I'm sorry Taylor." Gabriella said apologetically.

"Wait, Troy? Troy Bolton?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah…" Gabriella said slowly.

Taylor broke into a huge smile, completely catching Gabriella off guard. "Oh my God! You're going out with Troy!"

"Whoa, wait a minute - " Gabriella began.

"Oh my God! Gabby! This is so… I'm so happy for you! I _knew_ he was going to ask you out someday, I just _knew_ it! I mean, you've only known each other for two months, but there's obviously been something there. I mean, oh my God, this is huge!" Taylor raved.

"Taylor! Quiet!" Gabriella whispered anxiously. She glanced around, hoping no one had heard.

"Why? Aren't you happy?" Taylor asked, confused.

Gabriella looked down. "Maybe I would be if it were an actual date…"

"Of course it's a date! Why wouldn't you think it's not a date?" Taylor asked.

"Taylor, he's just a friend." Gabriella said quietly. "Nothing more."

Taylor fought the urge to roll her eyes. She couldn't believe how clueless these two were. "Ok, take me back to yesterday when he 'didn't' ask you out. What exactly happened?"

Gabriella didn't need to think hard, the image was still fresh in her memory. "Well, I was walking towards the door, and he called out my name -"

"How?" Taylor asked.

"How what?"

"How did he say your name? Rushed? Excited? Hesitated?" Taylor inquired.

"Uh, I-I guess he sounded a little hesitated…" Gabriella said.

"What else?"

Gabriella thought. "Well, I turned around, and he was standing right behind me -"

"What was his position?" Taylor probed.

"His -"

"How did he stand?" Taylor said.

"He uh, he had his hands in his pockets… he wasn't looking at me… he seemed nervous." Gabriella said, smiling as she remembered how adorable he looked.

Taylor noticed her faraway look. "What happened then?"

"Then, he asked me if I wanted to come over, and I said yes." Gabriella finished.

"Girl, how can you be so blind?" Taylor asked incredulously. "Judging from your description, he was obviously too petrified to be asking you to 'hang out' as friends, which leaves the only option of him asking as more than friends. He was scared, and nervous, and he didn't make eye contact with you. What more do you need? A sky writer to spell it out for you? Gabriella, Troy _likes_ you… and I know you like him back."

Gabriella didn't talk to Taylor for the rest of the period, suddenly sick to her stomach. What if she was right? What if it _was_ a date? Her hands began to sweat and her body grew hot with newfound, unexpected fear coursing through her veins.

_I'm not ready for this…_ Gabriella thought to herself desperately throughout the rest of the day. _I'm just not ready._

* * *

Practice ended sooner than Troy expected. He glanced at Gabriella, who was retrieving her bag from one of the seats. He didn't understand why he was so nervous. This was Gabriella, his friend.

_Are you sure that's all she is?_ A voice in the back of his mind whispered.

_Yes. No. I don't know._ Troy thought uncertainly. Picking up his own bag, he jumped off the stage and ambled over to Gabriella, forcing himself to stay cool. He smiled and handed her her script. "You ready?" He asked.

Gabriella returned the smile uneasily. _No no no no no._

"Yeah," She said. "Let's go." And as Troy opened the door for her, they began the long, indecisive walk.

* * *

"You can just leave your stuff over there, if you want." Troy said as he pushed the door open and pointed to an empty space a few feet away.

"Ok." Gabriella said as she set her bag and purse down. She raised her eyes and looked around, awed at what she saw. Most of the house was filled with basketball memorabilia and panoply of all kinds. There was scarcely anything that didn't have a basketball logo on it.

"Hey Gabriella?" Troy called from the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

"Um, my mom left a note saying she and my dad are going out tonight and won't be back till late…" He emerged from the kitchen carrying cans of soda, chips, and dip. He set them on the coffee table in the living room and looked up at her. "Is that ok?"

Gabriella grew warm. Her and an incredibly good-looking guy, sitting on a huge couch watching movies, with no parental supervision whatsoever… oh yeah, she was great.

"Um, y-yeah, that's fine." She said quickly. She walked over to the couch and slowly sat down, twiddling her thumbs.

Troy wasn't aware of how nervous she was, and began to go through his DVD cabinet.

"So, what are we watching?" Gabriella asked.

Troy pulled out a few DVD's and held them up for her. "How does the Lord of the Rings trilogy sound?"

Gabriella smiled. "Perfect! I haven't seen those in ages."

"That's good… me neither." Troy said as he pushed the power button on his DVD player. When he was finished setting that up, he sat down on the couch next to Gabriella, opened a can of soda, and handed it to her. She took it and thanked him, wondering if maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Troy and Gabriella remained slightly tense during the first movie, thinking more about the other than actually watching the movie. Gabriella's thoughts kept returning to the conversation her and Taylor had that morning, and contemplated over whether this was an actual date or just Troy wanting to spend time with her as a friend. It was like a constant tennis match was going on in her head - date, not date, date, not date. It was driving her senseless trying to figure out which of the two it was.

Troy was having no better luck. He remembered the things Chad had said to him about how he had never gone this crazy over any girl before Gabriella. That statement stuck to him glue. It was true, he'd never acted like this in all his life. There had been so many girls who had… _suggested _things to him. Whether it was with words or actions, they always seemed to be after him like a carnivorous animal. Every girl… except Gabriella. She had never hinted at having anything more than a friendship relationship, unlike the other girls who pined pathetically over him. Without even realizing it, Troy began to imagine something more than a friendship between him and Gabriella… and he didn't find it very disappointing at all - that is, until he came back to reality and became aware of the thoughts running through his mind.

By the middle of the second movie, Troy and Gabriella had forgotten their fears and uncertainness. Gabriella had taken her shoes off and pulled her feet onto the couch, sitting closer to Troy than before. Troy had also moved closer and was much less uptight, laughing with her like he always did. Their minds didn't wander to their anxieties - they were having too much fun to worry.

"Ok, what is so wrong with long hair?" Gabriella asked as she grabbed a few chips from the bag.

"Hey, it may work for some people… rock stars, elves… hobo's…" Troy said with a grin. "But for normal people like me, it doesn't connect."

Gabriella gave him a little shove. "Oh, come on. I bet if you did grow it out like Legolas, the girls would be all over you."

"Oh really?" Troy said. He pretended to consider. "I'd put your money on something else then." Troy leaned forward and began to tickle Gabriella, causing her to shriek and giggle.

"Oh, you're ticklish?" Troy said as he held onto a squirming Gabriella.

"Y-Yes!" Gabriella choked out.

"Do you take your bet back?" He asked, tickling her even more.

Gabriella couldn't get the words out and continued laughing hysterically. Troy eased up a bit, letting her take a breath. After a few moments, Gabriella looked up at him and smiled slyly.

"No!" She said as she leaned forward and began to tickle _him_. Troy was caught off guard and didn't have time to protect himself. He began to laugh as Gabriella found his ticklish spot and tried to stop her from torturing him. Gabriella was laughing too, and Troy found it mellifluous music to his ears. Troy wriggled on the couch, his face growing red from laughing, when he suddenly felt nothing but air underneath of him.

Troy fell to the floor with a crash and fought to breathe, still laughing hard. Gabriella jumped off the couch and kneeled next to him, pushing his bangs out of his face. "Are you ok?" She asked, giggling.

Troy looked at her and smiled. "Oh yeah, I'm great." Without warning, he grabbed Gabriella's shoulders and pushed her onto the floor, holding her down. He put one leg on each side of her, ensuring that she couldn't escape his grasp. Gabriella giggled and tried to get up.

"Troy! Let me go!" Gabriella said.

"No." Troy said simply.

Gabriella lifted her hands and pushed his shoulders up, attempting to force them off her own shoulders. "Tro-oy!" Gabriella cried out with mock distress.

"No." Troy said with a smile.

Gabriella sighed. "You are such a child." She said as she tried once more to push him off, and failed. Quite abruptly, she suddenly realized the position she was in. His hands had loosened their grip on her shoulders, but she didn't do the same to his. They felt so strong and firm… she had never felt shoulders like his before.

With an audacity she never knew she had, Gabriella slowly, she moved her hands an inch closer to his neck, letting all feelings of doubt fly away into oblivion. Troy and Gabriella became very serious, and neither of them were laughing.

"Maybe it's a good thing your hair isn't long…" Gabriella said as she reached up intrepidly to move a strand behind his ear before replacing her hand back on his shoulder. "It would get in the way of things…" She whispered as paroxysms of emotions flooded her entire being .

Troy nodded slowly. His eyes gazed over hers, losing himself in their almond color. He leaned forward, the proximity between them becoming less and less, his eyes on hers until they closed with succumbing anticipation. Troy was merely inches away when sadly, regretfully, and inconveniently, the phone jumped to life with a loud ring.

Their eyes snapped open and Troy quickly got off of Gabriella who sat up ruefully.

"I-I should get that." Troy said as he stood up. Gabriella nodded and stood as well, sitting down on the couch again. As Troy left the room, Gabriella turned and leaned backwards so that her entire body was stretched out. She closed her eyes and sighed. She seemed to do that a lot when she was with Troy, something Taylor had pointed out more than once.

Troy returned a few minutes later, sheepishly holding the phone. "That was my parents… they just wanted to check up on us." He sat next to her on the couch and put the phone down. They needed to talk about what had just happened. They needed to, but Troy didn't know what to say. "Gabriella - "

"It's eight thirty," Gabriella interrupted as her cheeks reddened. "We should have the third movie done by eleven. Should we start now?" She asked. Without waiting for him to answer, she took the Return of the King DVD out of its case, and placed it into the player. She sat down next to Troy again and didn't say another word. She felt embarrassed, she felt humiliated… and strangely, she felt wonderful.

* * *

Troy and Gabriella played the silent game again, neither of them willing to make the first move. Gabriella hid her embarrassment well, although she couldn't remember a time where she wanted to crawl into a hole more than at that particular moment. Every few minutes, she found herself glancing at Troy, carving his perfect figure into her mind by a force she couldn't seem to control. He was like a magnet, and she was drawn to him. Her head filled with ideas she'd never had before - things she'd never thought of doing or never had the courage to do. And as a fire grows higher from wood thrown into the heart of the flame, her feelings intensified at every glance.

As the night continued, Gabriella felt her eyelids grow heavy, as if two weights were attached to them. She began to nod off, leaning her head on the side of the couch and she curled her legs into a ball, relaxing on the comfortable surface. She allowed herself to close her eyes completely and let her leaden thoughts be put to rest, and in moments, she was sound asleep.

Troy hadn't looked at Gabriella for the entire movie, too self-conscious to bring up the subject of their previous conversation. He had never felt so diffident than in those few minutes, inches away from Gabriella's face. He couldn't believe he had been that close to kissing her. He was even more stunned that she had _let _him get so close to that aspiration. It was times like these when he realized how much Gabriella affected his emotions, making his usually normal behavior change into something completely erratic in the blink of an eye. How was it that she was capable of doing this to him? It was inevitable, but gave him such a feeling of assurance that he didn't care how or why she did it. He just couldn't stop wishing she would.

Troy suddenly felt something fall on his shoulder. He turned his head quickly and came face to face with Gabriella, her eyes closed and a small smile pasted on her lips - sound asleep. Troy gulped with uneasiness as disconcertion began to take over once again. For a fleeting moment, he didn't know what to do about the fact that Gabriella was asleep on his shoulder and looked awfully comfortable situated there. Then, very carefully, he picked up a pillow next to him and leaned it against his leg, smoothing it out. Slowly and sedately, he placed both hands on Gabriella's shoulders and guided her head onto the pillow, careful that he didn't pull her hair in the process.

This didn't exactly work the way he expected. As soon as Gabriella's head touched the pillow, she turned her body in her sleep towards Troy and reached out her hand. It came into contact with his midriff and to Troy's shock, Gabriella's fingertips began to graze over his tight, hardabs very, very gently. As Troy's breaths began to come out shakily, he saw her grin widen.

"Mmm….." Gabriella murmured in her sleep. "That feels nice…"

_She's asleep. _Troy thought to himself desperately. _She doesn't know what she's doing. She doesn't know what she's saying…_

As soon as those thoughts developed, Troy felt her stop, much to his relief (and slight disappointment.) He looked down and saw her small hand grasp a good amount of his t-shirt, causing him to lean forward so that he was simply inches away from her lips. His stomach turned relentlessly and his fingers trembled as he tried to detach her hand off of him.

Her hands were warm, giving his own cold hands a jolt at first touch. Little by little, he separated her fingers from his shirt, holding back emotions that threatened to burst from his very skin at the circumstance at hand. When he finally succeeded in attaining his shirt back, he let go of her hand.

He couldn't. Gabriella now had a firm grip on him, entwining her fingers with his own. Troy froze. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. He had no idea what he was going to do now. Thankfully, he didn't have to. Gabriella turned around to face the television, still asleep, and took Troy's hand with her, positioning it over her back and across her stomach with a content smile. Her hold on it lessened a little, but Troy made no move to take it back. He was too shocked to do anything except let her carry on and take over.

Troy stared down at her sleeping figure, afraid that the slightest sound would wake her up and ruin this moment. Turning down the volume of the TV almost all the way and forgetting about the movie entirely, he extended his left hand and hesitantly touched Gabriella's hair with his forefinger and thumb. It was so soft… like baby hair, except it was much thicker and it smelled sweeter than anything he had ever smelled before. He gently stroked it again and again, completely erasing his previous consternation and easing himself into a tranquility he had never been able to reach… a peace he had never achieved.

* * *

Originally, this chapter was going to be a lot longer, but I think 3000-some words was enough for one chapter : ) This was the very first chapter i imagined when starting this fanfic, and I was soooo eager to write it when the appropriate time came. A lot of you probably thought they were going to finally kiss in this chapter, but we still have a few more to go. Sorry! Hopefully that bit of info will keep you all reading! NOW EVERYONE GO REVIEW! IT MAKES ME HAPPY!


	6. What If

**Chapter 6: What If**

All was quiet. There wasn't a sound to be heard in the house as Gabriella slept soundly on the Bolton's couch. Her mind was filled with sweet, carefree dreams that left an unwavering smile glued to her face. She hadn't had that peaceful a slumber in a long time.

Troy was still awake, unable to tear his eyes away from the beautiful creature lying just below him. The movie had ended almost an hour ago, but Troy hadn't looked at the screen in ages. He'd been far too distracted by Gabriella, who still hadn't woken up. He had spent the last sixty minutes caressing her hair, taking a little more in his fingers each time he reached down, and quietly watching her inhale and exhale. Gabriella had shifted a few times while she slept, until she finally rested facing Troy's chest as she originally had done. Their hands hadn't separated once in that hour. Troy had relaxed immensely during this time and his once sweaty hand had cooled, nerves replacing with serenity. Gabriella's once-loose grip on his hand had tightened a little, as if she were afraid he'd pull away again. She had nothing to fear though, for Troy had no intention of moving for as long as he possibly could.

Troy smiled as he played with another strand of Gabriella's hair. She looked so beautiful when she was asleep. So calm and still… Troy looked at their joined hands and gently began to stroke the side of her hand with his thumb, grinning as he saw her smile with content at his touch.

Like a speeding bullet, Chad's accusing words approached the wall in Troy's mind that he had built in that evening and tore it to bits.

_I've never seen you so crazy and messed up about a girl before. In fact, I don't think I've seen you go crazy over any girl…That's not normal for the average teenage guy… Troy, do you have feelings for Gabriella?_

Troy jumped as he heard a car horn beep outside. Peering out the window from his seat, he saw a large red SUV, realized that it was Gabriella's mom to pick her up. Gabriella was still fast asleep, unaware of Troy's now jittery stomach.

Troy looked down at Gabriella and then at their linked hands, trying to decide what the answer to Chad's question really was. His inner conscious and his actual voice began to fight a raging battle.

_You care about her. _His conscious whispered.

"Of course I do." Troy said under his breath.

_You can't stop looking at her._

"That's not true…"

_Everyone can see it._

"But she couldn't possibly…"

He jumped again as he heard Gabriella's mom beep the horn once more. Forcing back an angry sound, he sighed and unwillingly let go of Gabriella's hand, pulling his own back. He felt a cold breeze on his outstretched palm and felt an empty hole without her palm connected with his. He quietly lifted the pillow holding her head off his leg and set it down. He got off the couch and kneeled next to her on his knees. She turned again in her sleep so that she was facing him, the same small smile drawn on her face. Troy felt his stomach spin and it made his task of waking her up all the more difficult. A few locks of her hair had fallen into her eyes when she turned, and they seemed to call out to Troy, begging to be touched one last time. Troy obliged by their wishes and pushed them behind her ear slowly, biding his time.

"Gabriella?" He said softly.

She made no movement and gave no sign of hearing him.

"Gabriella, you have to wake up now." Troy said a notch louder. This time, Gabriella stirred, and her mouth opened a fraction of an inch.

"Troy?" She whispered with her eyes still closed.

He smiled. "Yeah, it's me Gabriella. Your mom's here to take you home."

Gabriella began to move a little and Troy knew he had succeeded. He watched her intently as she took a deep breath and squeezed the hand that had unknowingly held Troy's for the past hour. It felt vacant… like something was missing. When she opened her eyes, she found herself face to face with Troy, who seemed to look redder than usual. What she didn't know was that as soon as Gabriella's grippingly remarkable brown eyes fixed on his own deep blue, a shock of electricity had seemed to shoot into him like lightning.

Gabriella smiled. "Troy…" She said half-asleep.

Troy nodded his head and stood up. "Your mom's waiting outside for you."

Gabriella closed her eyes, unhappy that the night had to end. "Oh, but I was so comfortable…"

"I know…" Troy said without thinking.

Gabriella didn't seem to notice. "Do I really have to go?" She asked with a puppy-dog face.

Troy gave her a little laugh and leaned over. "As much fun as I've had tonight, I need sleep too, but I can't do that while entertaining guests." Reaching forward, he tickled her like he had done before and she leaped out of the couch with a shriek.

"Ok, ok! I'm awake now!" Gabriella said with a giggle. She followed Troy to the door, where he handed her her book bag and purse. For a moment, they stood facing each other, a little awkward as they remembered different events that had taken place that evening. Gabriella was the first to speak.

"Well, I'm sorry I fell asleep on you." Gabriella said with a sheepish grin.

"It's fine… don't worry about that." Troy said, thinking of how she'd never know how accurate her words really were.

"I had a great time tonight." Gabriella said. "We should do it again sometime." Without realizing it, she took a tiny step towards him.

"Yeah," Troy said weakly. "We should…"

They were quiet for another tense second. Mrs. Montez beeped the horn again and Gabriella glanced towards the door.

"I guess I should go… I'll see you Monday?" Gabriella asked.

"Count on it." Troy said as he opened the door for her. Gabriella smiled and walked out of the house, still feeling like something wasn't quite right.

All of a sudden, Troy stepped out of the house and quickly closed the door behind him. "Gabriella?" He called out hesitantly.

Gabriella turned eagerly. "Yeah?"

Troy paused for a split second before speaking. "Um… listen, I just… about before, when we were… well, you know… I just want to say that I'm sorry. I mean, I know after what happened with Vince, you wouldn't want anyone touching you and… I mean-"

Before Troy could finish his sentence, Gabriella had walked back to him, and kissed him swiftly on the cheek, something she had never done before, leaving Troy stunned.

"Troy, don't apologize." Gabriella said. "What happened tonight and what happened with Vince are two totally different things. He was violating my personal space, and you… you did nothing wrong."

"I-I just thought -" Troy began.

"I know." Gabriella said softly. "And I appreciate that. You're an amazing guy, Troy. I don't see you as anything close to Vince." She reached out and took his hand, feeling her own electric current in her body and felt the empty space disappear.

"I'd never hurt you, Gabriella." Troy said as he squeezed her hand gently. "I promise."

"I believe you." Gabriella said. She let go of his hand and turned to leave again, making her way to the car. As she got in, she gave him one last wave before he disappeared back into his house and shut the door.

Troy leaned against it and looked down, still feeling the tingle of Gabriella's hand when it had touched his. _What is this?_ Troy asked himself. _Why can't I stop thinking about her?_

* * *

Gabriella gazed out her window at the stars, sighing peacefully. She'd had a perfect evening with Troy, despite the fact that she had fallen asleep. But while she had slept, Gabriella remembered dreaming dreams she could've sworn were true. A protecting arm draped across her side, tender fingers touching her hair without rush… a warm hand, holding her own as if they'd needed nothing else in the world but her simple touch. It had seemed so incredibly real…

Gabriella noticed her mom smirking at her from the corner of her eye and blushed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Gabriella said with a small grin. "Troy is a very nice boy and you approve. I've heard it already…" Turning towards the window again, she could see it fogging up slightly from her warm cheeks so near to the cold glass. This only made her blush more intensely.

"Actually," Gabriella's mom began. "I was just going to say that he looked absolutely miserable to see you go."

Gabriella didn't say anything, but felt her smile widen with embarrassed pleasure at this proclamation. Thoughts of their evening flooded back to her as she replayed each moment one by one. She lingered on the audacious emotions she had felt when he had been only breaths away from her, so unbelievably close, and yet farther away than ever. One move. One solitary move and that reverie might've become a reality. But did she want that? Did she _want_ to risk the once in a lifetime friendship she had with Troy for something that could ruin everything she'd ever wished and hoped for?

_How can you be so blind?_ _He was petrified. He was nervous, he didn't make eye contact with you, what more do you need? There's obviously been something there. Gabriella, Troy likes you, and I know you like him back._

Gabriella reflected on Taylor's words, sighing angrily. She was just too confused and mixed up to figure anything out. Why did things like this have to be so hard? Gabriella once again visualized Troy's face when he had been kneeling on top of her. He had looked scared, nervous, a little cautious… but one emotion stood out among all others - desire.

_Did I really see it though, or was I imagining it? _Gabriella thought to herself. _If it really was real, does that mean Troy actually does feel something deeper for me than friendship?_ _And if it was just imagination, what the heck was I doing imagining it?_

"Gabriella, are you sure you don't want to think about this thing with Troy just a little harder?" Gabriella's mom said, interrupting her thoughts. She breathed out deeply and continued. "I just want you to be happy." She said softly.

"I know, mom." Gabriella said, still turned towards the window. There was so much to think about, so much to consider. What if, somehow, she _did_ admit to herself that she had feelings for Troy, but found out he didn't want the same relationship she wanted? What would that do to their friendship, not to mention the musical? She'd never be comfortable around him again, and then she'd lose the best friend she'd ever had. One small, troublesome voice still whispered in the back of her head, murmuring one single sentence that stuck with her for the rest of the night.

_But what if you're wrong?_

* * *

Shorter chapter, I know, but this one's more like the second part of ch 5. I know everyone's getting impatient and eager for them to hurry up and realize they're both crazy about each other, but i ask you to be patient just a little longer. as in, about two chapters longer... : ) thanks for all the reviews! i broke the 50 mark, let's shoot for 100! 


	7. It's Time For Action

**Chapter 7: It's Time For Action**

It had been two weeks since Troy and Gabriella's evening together, and neither of them had made an attempt to speak of what had happened during that time to their friends. Gabriella was far too embarrassed to tell Taylor anything about how she and Troy had almost kissed in that intimate moment, or how she had felt such strong emotions during the conversation they'd had when he'd walked her out when the night was over. Taylor didn't probe for details, although she knew something big had to have happened when she'd seen the self-conscious look on Gabriella's face after Taylor asked how her evening with him went.

"Fine." Gabriella had said meekly as her cheeks turned pink, looking away from her uncomfortably.

As much as Taylor wanted to know exactly what went down, she realized that Gabriella had to come to terms with this on her own before sharing anything personal, and she respected her wishes and didn't bother her.

Chad, on the other hand, wouldn't leave Troy alone for a second. For the past two weeks, he'd been constantly on Troy's heels, badgering him for information about his and Gabriella's "not date." Troy hadn't spoken a word about it to him, afraid that he would end up slipping and letting everyone in the school know about it and jump to conclusions. Chad wasn't the easiest person to ignore though, and it was getting to the point where Troy seriously considered whether he should punch Chad in the face or keep giving him the silent treatment ,as he'd been doing for the past few days. Chad knew Troy was keeping something from him about that night. Something had definitely happened, and he intended on finding out what.

* * *

Gabriella and Taylor sat in biology class, practically falling asleep from boredom. They had finished class early for the day, and they'd been given the rest of the class as a free period, although their one rule was that they could not under any circumstances talk to one another. Everyone obeyed this rule knowing that if they didn't, their teacher would show them no mercy and land them in detention faster than the eye could blink. 

Gabriella felt her eyes close as she held up her heavy head with her hand. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night due to a late-night practice for the musical. Mrs. Darbus had really been coming down on her and Troy, letting them know exactly how a scene needed to be done or which lines needed more feeling and passion. She could handle Mrs. Darbus and her criticism, but she couldn't handle seeing the same face staring at her from the back of the auditorium day after day for the entire practice.

Sharpay always seemed to be there, glaring at her menacingly. She'd been coming to every single practice, unfortunately never missing one. She'd take the same seat she always sat in, at the very back, and just watched her and Troy. It seemed like she was trying to catch Gabriella doing something wrong, and when Mrs. Darbus corrected her mistakes, Sharpay could be seen with a small smirk on her face.

Gabriella opened her eyes as she felt something touch her arm. Looking down, she saw that it was a piece of paper folded in half. Opening it, she began to read Taylor's familiar handwriting.

_**I'm so excited about the Winter Formal this Friday! What about you?** _Taylor had written.

Gabriella pulled out her pen and began to write a message back. _I'm not so sure anymore. I thought I was, but now I don't know if I'm even going._ Folding the paper back up, she cautiously slid it to Taylor, who began to write another message almost as soon as it landed in her fingers.

**_WHAT? Why not? We spent two days looking for that dress of yours. You can't back out now!_** She gave it back to Gabriella with an unhappy look on her face..

_I really think I should._ Gabriella folded the note and jumped as she heard a noise behind her. Thankfully, it was just someone shuffling in their seat.

Taylor barely glanced over her reply and hastily wrote another message, slowly working her way up to the real purpose of the conversation. **_Did anyone ask you yet?_**

Gabriella sighed sadly when she read this message. _No, that's the reason I'm not going. You and Chad are going, and I don't want to ruin your fun. Since I haven't made a lot of really good friends yet, there's no one I can really hang out with._ She slipped it back to Taylor, who paused before writing down the idea she'd been wanting to propose.

**_What about Troy? Chad told me he's not going with anyone either._** Taylor passed it back to Gabriella and anxiously waited for her reaction.

Gabriella closed her eyes with a mixture of anger, desolation, and evident fear that could be seen in her eyes. She'd thought of asking Troy several times to go with her to the Formal, but hadn't plucked up the courage to actually go through with it.

_I don't know Taylor… Everyone wants to go with him. He'll probably have a date by the end of the day. _Gabriella wrote wistfully. Folding it once more, she gave it to Taylor who looked over it a few times with an unreadable expression.

Without warning, the bell rang and students began to exit the classroom, happy that they were free from class. Gabriella made her way to the door, but then felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and took the note in Taylor's hands. Taylor gave her a sad smile and then left, wondering how much more of this madness she could take from these two.

Gabriella watched her go for a moment before opening the paper up to see Taylor's last note quickly scrawled out at the bottom of the page.

**_Troy won't have a date today, and he won't have one by Friday. He's been asked, but he's turned down every single one… You could be the one he's been waiting for. Don't let this chance slip away._**

* * *

_Three days later…_

Troy made his way through the crowded halls and quickly shoved his books into his messy, disorganized locker while looking for his basketball shorts. He really didn't want to go to practice today. His dad had been working the team harder than usual, giving them few rests and two-minute water breaks along with grueling drills that left each player feeling sore and lightheaded.

As Troy finally found his shorts and t-shirt, he heard a small giggle behind him. Shutting his locker, he turned to see a dark-haired girl with a sly smile on her face.

"Hi, Troy…" She said as she twirled her hair.

Troy gave her a weak smile. "Hi, um… have we met?" He asked, knowing the answer already.

"No, but that doesn't matter. We've met right now." Moving closer to Troy, she put one hand on his shoulder while the other fixed his lopsided collar, letting her hands linger. "The Winter Formal is this Friday… and I don't have anyone to go with," She said as she gave him a fake sad look. "And I was just wondering, if… you'd go with me?" The girl looked into his eyes flirtatiously and smiled.

Troy sighed and removed her hands from his body. "I'm sorry, but no."

The girl stepped back, shocked that she'd been turned down, something that had never happened before. She waited a second to see if he would hopefully change his mind, but as he gave her a firm look, she made an angry noise and sulked away down the hall.

Troy turned from her direction, not hesitating for a single moment. He'd been getting requests like this for the past four days from girls who seemingly longed to go to the formal with him, but he knew the real reason why they constantly pursued him - popularity. They only wanted to use him as an accessory to match their dress, not because they really liked him as a person. He only knew of one girl who wasn't like all the others.

Working up the courage to ask Gabriella to the formal was much harder than he'd ever imagined. There were so many moments where he could've made a move, but he never got around to it. He wanted to so badly, but fear always took hold of him just as he was about to get the words that so desired to be spoken out. What if she said no? What if he made a fool of himself?

With an aggravated sigh, Troy entered the gym and quickly grabbed a basketball from the rack, dribbling his way down to the net. Taking a shot, he watched as it soared through the air and hit the rim, bouncing off in the opposite direction. His game still hadn't improved much, disappointing not only his dad, but the entire team. He took another shot and this time he made it with a satisfying 'swish', but just barely. Chad watched from behind and shook his head.

"Troy, you've _got _to focus. We're never gonna win the state championships with shots like that." He said as he made a basket next to him, making it in without any trouble.

"I know, I know." Troy said exasperatedly. "But they won't be here for ages."

"That may be true, but we're getting closer. And no offense man, but your dad is getting more worked up at practice each day." Chad said in a hushed tone, as if he were afraid that his coach could hear him from across the gym.

Troy nodded agreeing. "He's never been this hard on us. I guess it's just excitement. I mean, he hasn't gotten to go to state championships since _he_ played. I'm sure he's anxious to get back out there again."

"Troy! Chad!" Coach Bolton yelled. "Are you two just going to stand there all day and chat or am I going to have to make you wake up with some suicides?"

"No, Coach…" Troy and Chad replied. Suicides were the last thing they wanted. They each took a ball from the rack and made their way to the net.

"You call that excitement?" Chad asked incredulously. Troy chuckled under his breath and took a basket, promptly missing once again.

After practice, Troy and Chad went to the locker room to change into dryer, more clean-smelling clothes before going home for the day. Troy was putting on a fresh shirt while Chad lay on the nice cool floor, feeling his body heat rising from his limbs. His legs were sore and he couldn't remember the last time his arms had hurt this much. As much as he wanted to win the state championships, he didn't know how many more practices like today's he could endure before his body shut down altogether from exhaustion.

Chad looked at Troy as he pulled his shirt on and knew there was one more thing he had to talk to him about, but he wasn't sure if Troy would stick around long enough to listen since he'd been pressing him for details about it for almost three weeks. Chad honestly felt a little sorry about how pushy he'd been, but not enough to let him get away without one final fight.

"So, Troy…" Chad began casually. "There's been a lot of girls hanging over you lately - more than usual anyway."

Troy made a face and stuffed his sweaty shirt in his bag. "Please, don't remind me. It's bad enough without a recap of the week." He then proceeded to comb his wet hair, not having a lot of success.

"Well, have you even considered _one_ of them as a potential date for the formal?" Chad asked.

Troy looked at him strangely. "You're not serious, are you? They're all the same, like clones or something. And they keep multiplying! Right out of thin air! I'd rather go to the formal with one of the lab rats than another short-skirted, popularity-seeking princess."

Chad laughed a little and then paused, knowing he had to ease into what he was about to say. "Maybe you won't have to be _that_ drastic." He said as he began to get off the floor.

Troy looked up. "What do you mean?"

Chad sat down next to him and chose his next words carefully. "You know, I can think of one person who'd love to go with you, and she's not like any of those girls."

Troy was genuinely confused. "Who?"

"Gabriella." Chad said with a grin.

Troy was silent for a moment, completely taken aback. "She hasn't been asked yet?"

"Nope. I think everyone's too afraid that you'll kick the crap out of them if they even talk to her, ever since that Vince thing." Chad could've sworn he saw a flicker of a smile on Troy's face before he hesitantly continued. "So, are you?"

"Am I what?" Troy asked.

"Are you going to ask Gabriella out?" Chad said intolerantly.

Troy sighed. "I don't know. I mean, I want to… but - "

"But what?" Chad asked, suddenly standing up. "Dude, you've been running away from your feelings for almost three months, and don't even start with me about how you have none of these said feelings." Chad said as he held up a warning finger before Troy could argue. "Face it, you've changed ever since she came to East High. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, it's really good, but it's taking you a whole lot longer to figure this out than any of us ever thought."

"Who's 'us?'" Troy asked. Chad ignored him and kept going on with his rant.

"Gabriella is special to you. I know that, Taylor knows that, the whole school knows how you feel… everyone except Gabriella." Chad took a deep breath. "She's not going to wait forever, Troy. Eventually she'll find someone else who isn't afraid to tell her he wants to be with her, and you won't get another chance. You _will _regret it, and guess what? Tough - because it'll be _your own fault_."

Chad leaned over and looked Troy straight in the eye, anxious to get his point through to him. "When are you going to admit it, Troy? You don't have to sayanything to me, but at least admitit to yourself." And with that last statement, he left Troy to think about all he had said.

Troy was stunned as he remained on the bench of the locker room. Chad's words seemed to repeat over and over in his head, making his stomach twist uncomfortably with newfound realization. He hadn't even considered the thought of Gabriella with someone else. Just imagining it caused a twinge of jealousy to run through his veins. _She'll find someone else, and you won't get another chance. It'll be your own fault…_ Those particular words jumped out the most, giving him a deeply troubled feeling in his heart.

As he stood up to leave, Troy knew exactly what to do.

* * *

Sharpay pulled out a large pink makeup bag from her purse and set it down on the counter of the school bathroom, opening it and selecting a tube of lip gloss and mascara. She leaned forward, edging herself closer to the mirror and paused, admiring her golden-blonde hair as it reflected against the light in a dazzling shine of color. Applying the makeup, her head flooded with images of Gabriella on the stage, singing _her_ songs and acting out _her_ part. It made her crazy with anger at how everything had turned out the way it did. She'd never been so overcome with jealousy for one human being - and she wasn't just referring to the musical casting. 

Gabriella had obtained in less than a month the one thing Sharpay had always wanted and secretly longed for ever since grade school… The attention of Troy Bolton. Sharpay's heart ached as she recalled the first moment she'd seen Troy on that elementary school playground in the first grade, bouncing a rubbery ball on the sidewalk with an adorable look on his face as he concentrated on making a hundred dribbles in a row. The first time he'd looked at her and smiled, Sharpay knew inside that the funny turning inside her stomach wouldn't go away. And even after all these years, her feelings for Troy hadn't dwindled for a second.

Sharpay didn't understand how Gabriella had done it. Troy had never been in an actual relationship with anyone before, despite the fact that girls clung to him tighter than his own clothing. Sharpay knew Troy, he had been waiting for someone exceptionally special to come along before jumping into a relationship head-on. What she couldn't seem to comprehend was how a simple, shy brainiac had won him over so easily. What was it about Gabriella that Troy was so drawn to that he zoned out of whatever conversation he was having at the moment when she walked into the room? What did she have that Sharpay didn't? She'd known Troy much longer than Gabriella had, she knew more about him than Gabriella did, and she certainly knew how to make Troy happy much better than Gabriella could ever hope to do. She just had to make Troy realize that.

The bathroom door opened and Sharpay jumped at the sudden surprise. When it had opened to its full extent, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, it's just you Allison." Sharpay said as she applied another coat of mascara to her long eyelashes.

Allison rolled her eyes and placed one hand on her hip, mockingly insulted. "Oh, is _that_ how you greet your friends now?" Allison said with a thin smile. She was dressed in another short skirt, but it was a light shade of orange and she had a pale yellow shirt that showed a decent amount of her flat stomach. Sunglasses were perched on top of her head and she wore long earrings that danced about whenever she spoke.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Sharpay asked.

Allison walked over and talked to her reflection in the mirror while checking her hair. "Well, if you _must_ know, I'm being tutored in algebra every Thursday. I have to keep it to at least a C if I want to go to the formal."

"And what's your grade?" Sharpay questioned.

Allison smiled. "A seventy two."

"Ooh, bravo, your parents must be _really_ proud…" Sharpay said sarcastically.

"Well, it doesn't matter, because I kept my end of the bargain and now they have to keep theirs." Allison said with a sense of accomplishment.

"Are you going with anyone?" Sharpay asked formally as she began to brush her hair, careful not to pull on it too hard.

"Yes, actually." Allison said as she blushed faintly. "With Justin, from the soccer team. Know him?"

"I've heard things…" Sharpay said without feeling.

Allison stared at her, wondering if she should ask her next question. "So.. What about you? Who're you going with?"

Sharpay slammed her makeup bag shut, her throat suddenly becoming very tight and tears pricked at the side of her eyes. "No one." She said coldly.

Allison looked at her sympathetically. "No one asked you? Not even Chef Boyar-_zeke_?"

"No, Allison, ok? No one asked me to the formal. Are you satisfied? And don't think about showing me pity, because Sharpay Evans _does not _do pity. Any other emotion you throw at me, I can do, but pity and weakness do not exist in my vocabulary." Sharpay said angrily.

Never-the-less, Allison couldn't feel anything but remorse for her. "I'm sorry…" She said softly.

For a brief moment, Sharpay appreciated the compassion Allison gave to her. But then, the instinct that had been drilled into her since birth kicked in and she thought nothing of it. "Don't be." She said bluntly. "Besides, tomorrow, everything's going to change and I won't need anyone to feel sorry for me anymore."

Allison gave her a look. "Why do I get the feeling this is about Troy?"

Sharpay smiled smugly. "Because you have a gifted mind for knowing these sort of things, Allison."

Allison rolled her eyes, paying no attention to the comment. "Sharpay, what are you doing now?"

"It's not what I'm_ doing_," Sharpay said with a grin. "It's what I'm _going_ to do."

"Is there a difference when you're involved?" Allison asked as she crossed her arms.

Sharpay smiled wider and turned to face Allison. "Do you know why Troy's rejected every girl who's begged him to take her to the Winter Formal?" She didn't allow any time for her to respond. "He's been waiting. Waiting patiently for the right girl to ask him, and waiting for the right girl that he could willingly and happily call his girlfriend, the one girl he's been so desperately anxious to find. And now, he's about to find her."

Allison gave her a wary look. "What if he already has? You know he and Gabriella - "

"Oh, please," Sharpay said with a scoff. "That girl doesn't have a chance with Troy Bolton. She didn't know what she was getting into when she auditioned for the musical with him, but now she's about to find out." Sharpay looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed softly to herself, feeling her heart squeeze uncomfortably. "I know I'm never going to get back in the musical. Darbus has made it perfectly clear that she's made her final choice with Gabriella as the lead girl's role, despite how wrong a decision she's made… but that doesn't mean I can't fight for her partner." Sharpay added quietly.

Allison thenrealized how serious Sharpay was about this. She never thought her feelings ran that deep for Troy. Despite their friendship, she didn't want Sharpay to hurt either of them just so she could get what she wanted. Personally, Allison thought Gabriella was the best thing that had ever happened to Troy. She'd seen them together countless times, and the chemistry between them was like nothing she'd ever seen before. She knew though that she couldn't tell Sharpay that she honestly thought she should back off and let them be. Allison could only imagine what Sharpay would say if she knew she fully supported Troy and Gabriella as more than friends.

Allison jumped slightly as she heard loud footsteps running outside the door. Sharpay heard them too and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Getting on her knees, she leaned underneath one of the sinks and crouched down. Allison curiously kneeled next to her and watched as Sharpay began to undo the already loose screws on the cover of an air vent that led outside of the bathroom. Through the cracks, Sharpay could make out a tall white shape running past and then stopping suddenly.

"It's Troy…" Sharpay whispered as she motioned for Allison to be quiet. They leaned closer to the vent and began to listen intently when they heard him begin to speak.

* * *

_A few minutes earlier…_

Troy walked down the long hallway, still thinking of what Chad had said to him back in the locker room. His words had hit him like bullets, leaving a wound so big it could only take one person to completely fill it up again. Troy quickened his pace, anxious to get home and change into something more presentable. He had it all planned out - he would go to Gabriella's house as soon as he was decent-looking and cleaned up from practice, take her someplace quiet and private, and ask her to go to the Winter Formal with him. The mere thought of asking her still made his stomach turn nervously, but he knew he had to do this. He _really_ wanted to do this.

As he turned a corner, he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw what walked before him, almost a hundred yards further up. Gabriella was walking slowly with her bag over her shoulder, unaware that Troy was just down the hall from her. She was completely alone and there was no one else on that side of the school but them.

Troy was about to bolt in the opposite direction out of fear before Chad's voice echoed in his head again. _You will regret it. And it'll be all your fault…_ Troy saw a brief image of Gabriella and a faceless boy with his arms wrapped around her, Gabriella smiling… Troy nowhere to be seen in his own make believe picture.

Making up his mind before he could do otherwise, he ran towards Gabriella, forgetting about his sore legs as they pounded under his body. The hallway seemed to be endless, and he was afraid he wouldn't get to her before she disappeared (as she often had a habit of doing.) He found his voice and called out to her urgently.

"Gabriella! Wait!" Troy yelled, panting from the sprint.

Gabriella wheeled around, surprised, but very pleased to see him. "Troy? What are you still doing here? I thought you would be home by now." She said as Troy stopped running, finally reaching her. Troy paused for a moment, catching his breath.

"No, my-my dad's getting read-ready to leave right now…" Troy breathed in heavily. "What's your excuse?" He asked as he stood upright, now breathing easier than before.

"I was working on some of the songs for the musical with Kelsi. Mrs. Darbus thought I should get a little extra practice while you had basketball." Gabriella replied.

"It's not like you need it." Troy said without thinking. "You're incredible."

Gabriella blushed at the unexpected compliment and looked down, unsure of what to say.

The nerves that so taunted Troy had come back again, making him freeze up with fear of rejection and looking like an idiot if she said no. He too looked down, and telling himself viciously for the thousandth time that he had to do this, he began to speak shakily.

"S-so, umm… are you going to the formal tomorrow night?" Troy asked, not looking at her, but instead focusing his attention on the intricate lines of the concrete floor.

Gabriella felt her heart beat a bit faster, but tried not to get her hopes up higher than they already were. "Well, I was going to, but I'm not so sure anymore." She said quietly.

"Why not?" Troy asked with a sense of dread.

Gabriella held her arms close to her, much like when she had sung on stage on New Year's Eve. "No one's asked me. I _was_ going with Taylor, but her and Chad are going now, and I don't want to be a third wheel. I think it would just be best if I -"

"Gabriella, will you go to the formal with me?" Troy blurted before he could stop the words from spilling from his mouth. He wanted to kick himself for being so incredibly idiotic. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to be in school, right in front of a bathroom. He wasn't supposed to be sweating profusely and clutching a gym bag to his side like it was gold. He wasn't supposed to be nervous or tongue-tied or fearful. He was supposed to do this all differently, in a way Gabriella wouldn't be able to resist. Troy apprehensively averted his gaze from the floor and met her eyes with a jolt that sent a wave of electricity through his body.

Gabriella was half shocked and half in disbelief that those words had actually come out of Troy Bolton's mouth. She could feel her jaw opening slightly, but no words came. Coughing timidly, she gulped and opened her mouth again.

"What did you say?" She said in almost a whisper.

Troy gently reached out and took her cold hands in his, looking down at them before making contact with her eyes once more. "Gabriella, will you do me the honor of allowing me to take you to the Winter Formal tomorrow night?" He asked again with a little more confidence.

Gabriella breathed in slowly, pleading her stomach to stop doing flips long enough for her to get her answer out. She hesitantly ran her fingers over his, their hands still clasped together. Feeling herself hold his gaze, she finally got out Troy's long-awaited response.

"Yes." Gabriella said as a smile gradually made its way across her face.

Troy was stunned. "You will?" He asked, making sure it was real.

"Yes." Gabriella said again, with more feeling. "Yes, Troy, I'd love to go with you."

Troy let go of her hands and stupidly held his own in thin air, unable to move. "You're sure?"

Gabriella shook her head with an elated grin, guiding his arms back to his sides and kissing his cheek softly. "Positive." She whispered in his ear before pulling away.

"O-ok…" Troy said as he came to his senses. "I'll uh, I'll pick you up around seven. Is that good for you?" He asked as Gabriella backed away without turning from him.

"That's perfect." She said as her heart began to flutter like mad. Before Troy could utter another word, Gabriella was out of hearing range and disappeared from view. For a good minute, Troy stood rooted to the spot, amazed by how well something that unplanned had gone.

_Maybe it was coincidence._ Troy thought as his own grin grew wider at his triumph. He headed the opposite way, rounded the corner and beginning to run, jumping in the air with jubilation every few strides as he punched the air happily.

_Maybe it was fate. _

* * *

Sharpay was motionless as she sat on the bathroom floor, hearing Troy's footsteps fading into the distance. She couldn't seem to grasp what had just happened, and then it came on her so quickly she felt like her head was spinning from the unexpectedness of it all. Troy had finally done it. He had asked a girl out, and she had said yes. Sharpay had witnessed it - the joy Gabriella had emitted from the request of being Troy's date, the look of pure disbelieve on his face when Gabriella accepted, and the obvious feelings of happiness they had shared when all was said and done. 

Sharpay's worst fear had come true. Gabriella had gotten to Troy sooner than she did, and it had cost her greatly. Without saying a word to Allison, who was sitting next to her with a mixed look of grief for her friend and confusion of what to do next, Sharpay turned the screws back in their places and stood up with an indescribable look pasted across her face. She stared into the mirror at her reflection, feeling her hopes ebb away and despair begin to take over.

Allison placed a warm hand on Sharpay's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Sharpay, I know you don't want to hear this, but you have to face the facts. You didn't win this time. It'll be best for everyone if you just let this go and get on with life instead of constantly pining over Troy. You need to know when it's time to give up."

Sharpay lifted her head at this and her face twisted into a bitter, lethal gaze that bore into their reflections in the mirror. Sharpay shoved Allison's hand off and turned to face her intensely.

"I don't lose." She said maliciously. "I don't give up. I will not let this go until I have what I want. This changes _nothing._" She spat as she pushed the door open with an anger like no other rising in her very soul. As she sauntered down the hall, a plan began to arise from the darkest corners of her mind, swirling around and around until everything pieced together. An evil smile found residence on Sharpay's smug mouth and she walked with her head a little higher.

Gabriella Montez may have taken her spotlight, her glory, and her status in East High, but there was no possible way she would let her take Troy Bolton without a fight.

* * *

And the drama begins... I got a little carried away with this chapter, considering it was only supposed to be a filler... and now its my longest chapter! lol, sorry it took me longer to write this one, but i went back to school last week and lets just say they aren't showing us any mercy until summer break : ( hate to dissapoint you all but it'll probably take me another week (or possibly longer) to get the next chapter up. I've got most of it planned out, so who knows? maybe it'll take me less time than i thought. Anyway, Troy finally asked Gabriella out (with a littlepush from Chad), Sharpay has a jealous fit of rage and begins to form a disasterous plan, and poor Allison is caught between Sharpay and her own opinions of Troy and Gabriella. It's time for action... 


	8. The Formal, Part 1

**Chapter 8: The Formal, Part 1 **

Gabriella paced back and forth from one side of her room to the other, anxiously looking at the clock. It seemed to move extra slow on this particular night, reading the same time for what felt like hours instead of seconds. Troy would be picking her up for the formal any minute now, and Gabriella couldn't remember feeling so nervous. At all her other schools, Gabriella had avoided dances and homecomings. Partly because her mother's job would cause them to move before the first dance was even planned, but most of the reason was of her painfully shy nature. Technically, _this_ was her first dance. And it was with Troy.

Gabriella stopped pacing for a moment and looked at herself in the full-length mirror that was propped up against the wall. She looked at herself from top to bottom, studying every inch and looking for some small detail that might make Troy regret asking her to the formal in the first place. Sighing, she sat on her bed and closed her eyes.

_What am I doing?_ She asked herself. Looking at the clock, she felt her stomach twist uncomfortably as she read the time. Six fifty-eight. Unable to answer her own question, Gabriella sat up and folded her hands in her lap, repeating the same prayer over and over in her mind.

_Please don't let him be disappointed. Please let me relax. Please let this night be perfect… _She said willfully. As soon as the last word escaped her thoughts, the doorbell rang and Gabriella's eyes snapped open. Taking a deep breath she picked herself up off the bed, convinced herself everything would be fine, and left the safeness of her room and walked down the stairs with her stomach feeling, if possible, more uneasy than before.

* * *

Troy walked up the long sidewalk that led to Gabriella's front door with a feeling so intense, he was surprised he had made it to her house in one piece. The entire way there, his mind had been on nothing but Gabriella and if she had really wanted to go to the formal with him or if it was just pity. He _had_ asked her the day before, that alone could say he was pathetic, or a loser with no courage whatsoever.

Breaking from his thoughts, Troy stood stiffly at the door and took a deep breath. _She wouldn't have said yes if she really didn't want to go, right?_ He asked himself uncertainly. Sighing, he shook his head and mentally prepared himself for the evening's unknown events, whatever they might be. _Only one way to find out…_ And with that thought, he raised his hand and pushed the doorbell.

He could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. As they grew louder with each step, Troy felt mounting tension in every muscle of his body. He held his hands behind his back and rocked backwards on his heels, biting his bottom lip as he looked down.

_Please let her have fun. Please let me know the right things to say. Please let everything be perfect… _The door opened, and Troy nearly fell over at the stunning sight before him.

Gabriella wore a long, flowing white dress that danced in the slight winter breeze. It was held up by thin spaghetti straps and showed off her slender arms and graceful shoulders. She wore makeup, but not enough to make her look overdone. She had on a dark eyeliner that made her eyes even more prominent so that they seemed to penetrate into your deepest and most well-guarded thoughts, unable to hide from her. Her hair was half-up, half-down, and in loose curls that made Troy long to hold and caress in his fingertips. Unfortunately for him, he was too shocked to do anything and just stood there on the porch stupidly.

"Hi, Troy." Gabriella said softly as she opened the door farther, uncertain if his wide-eyed look was a good thing or not.

Troy found it difficult to speak. Her voice sounded so different tonight, more mature and developed. He was captivated by the smallest move she made, craving to hold her in his arms as he'd done what seemed like ages ago. He gulped as his hands fell to his sides in slow motion and he cleared his voice.

"Y-you look…" Troy began, trying to think of a way to sum up everything he saw with one word.

"Bad?" Gabriella asked, wincing as her shoulders slumped dejectedly.

"Beautiful…" Troy breathed as he took her hands in his. Gabriella looked up at him and smiled, thankful it was dark out so he couldn't see her blushing.

"Thanks." Gabriella whispered. "You don't look so bad either." Looking him over, she admired how he could pull off the look of a simple black tuxedo so skillfully.

A moment of silence passed between them, each too engrossed in the other to speak. Troy felt like he would collapse if he stared at her any longer, but he couldn't pull his gaze away no matter how hard he tried, and Gabriella knew her stomach would surely explode before they even got to the dance. He looked so sexy and his hair was so perfect and she could tell how nervous he was, which made him even more adorable in her eyes. How was she going to survive this night with someone like Troy by her side?

Troy finally came to his senses and gave her a smile. "So uh, are you ready to go?" He asked.

Gabriella nodded untruthfully. "Yeah."

Troy let go of her hands and Gabriella found that she already missed his touch. She followed him to the car, smiling shyly as Troy opened the door for her. He was such a gentleman… Troy walked to the other side and got in, closing the door behind him. Starting the car, he turned to look at Gabriella, who was staring at the floor and breathing deeply.

"Are you ok?" He asked, concerned.

Gabriella looked up timidly. "I don't know. I guess it's just nerves…" She was seriously debating on whether calling this whole thing off when she felt Troy take her hand gently. She immediately felt warmth fill her up as she looked into his understanding face.

"It's ok." Troy said. "Everything's going to be fine. All the people who are going to be there wanted your autograph at one point, remember?" Gabriella smiled and Troy continued. "I promise, I'll make sure no one hurts you. Do you believe me?"

Gabriella glanced at their linked hands and then connected her eyes with his, believing him with every feeling she had. "Yes." She said confidently. She gave him a smile and felt her fears evaporate from her worrying mind. "Let's go."

* * *

Loud music could be heard playing in the gym from the parking lot of the school. As Troy and Gabriella walked into the building, they noticed that many of the students they passed were looking at them with knowing looks on their faces, as if they weren't at all surprised to see the two of them together. Troy glanced at them warily, not sure what their problem was and not in any hurry to find out. At the entrance of the gym, Troy and Gabriella passed by two boys, one of them grinning and giving them two thumbs up. Troy ignored them and led Gabriella into the gym, hoping this wouldn't be how their evening was going to be all night.

Troy and Gabriella paused as they entered the gym which was beautifully decorated with white and blue streamers and silver snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. There were tables set up at one end of the gym while the other end was crowded with students dancing to the beat of their favorite songs. The entire area was teeming with people, and Troy had to take hold of Gabriella's hand to prevent her from being swept away out of sight.

Gabriella let Troy lead her through the large group, hoping they'd find Taylor and Chad soon. As they pushed past people, Gabriella felt like everyone was closing in on her, especially the guys. She could feel their eyes on her bare back, traveling down slowly and eagerly. It reminded her of how she had felt under Vince's grasp, unable to break free from his hungry stare and how helpless she had felt. And now it was happening again.

"Hey, you mind buddy?" Troy suddenly said as he wheeled around to look at one guy who was about to touch Gabriella. "My _date_ is feeling a little crowded, and I'd appreciate it if you'd leave her alone. Got it?" He said it with as much feeling as if he were speaking to Vince again, and it seemed to have the same effect on the group of repulsive, immoral boys. They nodded their heads, realizing this was the guy who'd beaten up someone twice his size and made their way as far away from him as possible.

Gabriella smiled at Troy and squeezed his hand. "Thank you." She said meaningfully.

Troy felt his stomach turn again. That smile… it gave him pleasurable chills up his spine and he welcomed them whole-heartedly. He pulled her a step closer, Gabriella happily obliging. "I made a promise to you, Gabriella. I intend to keep it." Troy said.

Before Gabriella could say anything else, she saw a figure with large, bushy hair waving at them from a table in the back.

"There's Chad and Taylor over there." Gabriella said as she pointed behind Troy. Troy turned and smiled at them, waving back. He led her over to their table and Chad and Taylor smiled, feeling like they had played a significant part in getting them to come to the formal together.

"Hey guys!" Chad said to Troy as he gave him a high-five. Chad was wearing a tux as well, making him look more mature than usual, although his personality didn't alter in the least bit. Taylor was wearing a dark blue halter-top-like dress and wore her hair down in wavy curls. Troy and Chad began a heated conversation about the latest college basketball game while Gabriella sat down next to Taylor, watching Troy's mouth as he spoke. Taylor noticed and decided to have a little fun with it.

"So, enjoying the view?" Taylor asked with a smirk.

Gabriella looked at her. "Shut up." She said as she glanced down uncomfortably.

"Gabriella -"

"No, Taylor." Gabriella interrupted. She gave Taylor a look that immediately shut her up. "Look, I know you have good intentions concerning Troy and I, and your advice has helped more than you know. But you need to back off a little. I don't want to worry anymore about how I feel, or if he even feels remotely similar towards me. Tonight, I just want to have fun."

Taylor opened her mouth, closed it, and then hesitantly opened it again. "I'm sorry. I guess I _have_ been a little too pushy lately. But before you say anything, can I just ask one more question about you two?"

Gabriella sighed. "Ok, what?"

"Have you figured out how you feel yet?" Taylor asked.

Gabriella paused, trying to think of a good enough answer for her. She looked back up at Troy, who was now talking to a few other members of the basketball team and their dates. He was laughing at something Zeke had said, and his face seemed to light up the entire gym. Gabriella was so confused. She knew the entire school was watching her, waiting for a decision to be finalized (as if that weren't pressure enough.) And she realized that sooner or later, she'd have to make that decision on her own. But with Taylor's words spinning in her head and the emotions that roused from deep within her whenever Troy was around, nothing seemed clear anymore.

"I-I don't know." Gabriella said softly as Taylor restrained herself from sighing at this answer. "I mean, the first time I met Troy, I never thought I'd see him again. We didn't know each other at all, and he left the next day before I could find him. Then, when I came here and saw him, I thought to myself that this couldn't have been just a coincidence." Taylor nodded her head attentively and Gabriella continued, glancing at the boys to make sure they weren't listening in.

"And then we sang together again, and I knew that there was something there - something completely… different from anything I've ever felt before. And we grew closer, and he shared things with me he's never even shared with Chad… and he's known him for years." Gabriella pointed out. "But he trusted _me_, a girl he'd just met… he had to have felt something. You don't do things like that unless you have a good reason." Gabriella looked down and spoke so quietly that Taylor had to lean closer to hear her.

"I thought I had it all figured out a few weeks ago." Gabriella said, folding her hands together. "I thought I knew… everything. But every time I come close to working out a sure-fire answer, it all collapses on me and doubt takes over. And then I'm back at square one - wondering where to begin… What if I make the wrong choice and he runs away? What if no matter how many signs you say are right in front of me, you're wrong? Taylor, what if I… if I -"

"What if you admit how you really feel?" Taylor asked quietly. Gabriella looked up, completely forgetting where she was and only focusing on Taylor.

"Gabriella," Taylor started. "I am going to give you the last piece of advice I could possibly give before the guidance well dries up, and then you'll have to take it from there." Gabriella remained motionless, and Taylor continued. "I think you're scared. Of what Troy would say, yes, but even more terrified of what would happen if you admitted your feelings first and foremost to yourself. These doubts you have, they don't exist. You put them there as a reason to escape from what you _know_ is true, and the truth scares you. You build walls so high that it's impossible to break through, and you block out your feelings so you won't get hurt by the unknown. But Gabriella," Taylor said as she grasped her hand tightly and looked her in the eye. "_This_, what you feel for Troy, is _not_ unknown. You _know_ how you feel. You can't deny it any longer, because if you do, you'll never be genuinely happy… and neither will he." Taylor said as she glanced up at Troy. "He's too crazy about you to let you go… don't give him a reason to stop."

Before Gabriella could speak, the hip-hop and rock tracks that everyone had recently been dancing wildly to were replaced with a slower, gentler song. The soft melody filled the air, weaving its way through the crowd as couples entered the dance floor - some shy, some with assurance, but none with more determination than one boy who walked with a tremble in his stomach.

Troy advanced towards Gabriella, shaking slightly as he noticed her unidentifiable expression. Reaching out his right hand, he gave her a small smile. "May I have this dance?" He asked hesitantly, hoping for the right answer to escape from her lips.

Gabriella was at a loss for words at that particular moment, as she'd just been hit with a bomb of instant realization. She stared up at him, unable to speak. Slowly she nodded her head, placing her small hand in his and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor, Taylor smiling happily after her. She didn't know how much of an impact her words had had on Gabriella, but from the evident look on her petrified face, she knew she'd finally gotten through. The rest was now up to her, and her alone. It was out of Taylor's hands - she had done all she could and said everything that could've possibly been said on this subject… it was up to Gabriella to make her choice on whether to take the information given to her, or to toss it aside.

Gabriella and Troy stood still for a moment as they chose an unoccupied space on the floor, each a little uneasy and nervous about their current situations. As the first few bars of the song began to play, Gabriella found that her hands had a mind of their own. Unhurriedly, they wound behind Troy's head and rested on the back of his neck, her eyes never leaving his. Troy's hands also seemed to know exactly where to go, and he was grateful, for he had no idea what he was doing what-so-ever. They took residence on Gabriella's waist, barely holding them, but just enough to make her shiver at the sudden warmth. Troy let his mind go free and allowed his ever-constant emotions take over until he no longer thought of the was and has been, nor of the will and will be. All he could focus on was the present - this time, this place, this moment.

_I know I've been mistaken,_

_But just give me a break and see the changes that I've made…_

They swayed gently in time with the music, completely losing themselves in each other's gaze. Gabriella was captivated by his every move, his every glance, his every touch. How was it that she could feel so powerless when near him? How was it that she could succumb to every feeling that occurred when someone spoke his name? How… how had she not seen this before?

_But you always find a way, to keep me right here waiting…_

_You always find the words to say, to keep me right here waiting…_

_And If you chose to walk away, I'd still be right here waiting…_

_Searching for the things to say, to keep you right here waiting…_

Taylor glanced at Gabriella and Troy every few seconds, smiling as she recognized the faraway look in Gabriella's eyes. She'd seen it far too often, but only on one sort of occasion - whenever Troy was in the room. Taylor was glad she hadn't backed down from her efforts to reveal the truth to Gabriella, even when she had pleaded her to stop. She was only doing what any best friend would do in a situation like this… give a little push in the right direction. Troy was right for Gabriella, and Gabriella for Troy. They were a match made in Heaven, something people dream about but never realize when it's upon them in their own lives. Taylor had a feeling that tonight, something was going to happen to those two… and it would change everything between them.

_I know you're not intending, to be so condescending_

_It's as much as I can take…_

Troy held Gabriella's eye for what seemed like an eternity. His stomach was madly flipping like it was on a constant roller coaster and his head was focused on nothing but her. She looked so beautiful, not that she didn't always look beautiful, but tonight seemed different somehow. She emitted a certain glow about her, capturing all her flawless features in the dim lighting, making every single part of her look perfect. _She_ was perfect.

_And you're so independent,_

_You just refuse to bend, so I keep bending till I break…_

_But you always find a way, to keep me right here waiting…_

_You always find the words to say, to keep me right here waiting…_

_If you chose to walk away, I'd still be right here waiting…_

_Searching for the things to say, to keep you right here waiting…_

Gabriella felt the walls she had built around her heart begin to crumble and shatter as they hit the ground. With each passing second, one more brick that brought the barricade to life disappeared and weakened the fortress little by little until Gabriella felt everything she'd been struggling with fade away into nothing.

On impulse, Gabriella moved forward a few inches and separated the remaining space between them. She rested her head on Troy's chest, breathing in the faint smell of him while her arms softly laid on each of his shoulders. She felt Troy move his hands so that he was gently hugging her around the small of her back, careful not to touch too low. Gabriella smiled at his thoughtfulness and sighed happily, unable to imagine anything more perfect than this.

_I've made a commitment,_

_I'm willing to bleed for you,_

_I needed fulfillment,_

_I found what I need in you._

* * *

Hope everyone liked that chapter... i spent the entire week writing it, and originally, it came out to 14 pages. so i decided to cut my one giant chapter into two smaller ones. the second part is almost done. i have about 2 or 3 more pages to write and then it'll be ready to post. in the meantime, update! i get so many hits on this story and not very many of you review after reading. to those who do review, i appreciate it soooooooooooo much. it really keeps me going when i dont think i can find it in myself to write another chapter. just a little note of encouragement is all i ask... the more reviews i get, the sooner i'll post the second part.


	9. The Formal, Part 2

**Chapter 9: The Formal, Part 2**

Sharpay angrily watched Troy and Gabriella dancing, along with a few others who admired their subtle movements and perfect rhythm. Unlike them, however, Sharpay was not admiring at all… She was fuming.

She knew that the two of them would arrive at the formal together; that part was certain. She knew that people would be in awe of how supposedly perfect they looked together, obviously blinded by their stupidity at such thoughts. What Sharpay had feared the most about this night was what she was viewing at that very moment. She wasn't worried for her plan, oh no, no… this little event would be what would make everything so much more unexpected and painful - exactly what Sharpay wanted Gabriella to feel. What made her so upset was that she wished she could be in Gabriella's place, but knew she wasn't and couldn't.

Soon though, very soon, that would change.

_

* * *

_

_But you always find a way, to keep me right here waiting…_

_You always find the words to say, to keep me right here waiting…_

_And if I chose to walk away, would you be right here waiting?_

Gabriella's eyes were sealed shut, afraid that if she opened them, everything would turn out to be nothing more than a beautiful dream. She relished in the warmth of Troy's arms wrapped around her, his head lying gently on top of hers. They never stopped moving, neither leading or following. They were like one body, dancing in perfect synchronization, unaware of anything else in the room, nor the group of people that were now watching them with looks of pure approval.

_Searching for the things to say, to keep me right here waiting…_

As the last chords of the song faded away, Gabriella and Troy stopped dancing and remained still. Gabriella's thoughts went a mile a minute, desperately trying to demolish the last few blocks of doubt from her restless mind. Slowly, she lifted her head off Troy's chest and found herself eye to eye with him, mere inches between them.

Troy slowly detached his arms from Gabriella's waist and took her hands in his, noticing how lovely her eyes looked as they caught the faint lighting. Looking down for an instant and then raising his eyes to look back into hers, he felt an indescribable peace come over him and he had never felt more content. In that moment of being so incredibly close to her, so in touch with his mind-boggling emotions, all the answers finally seemed to click into all the right places. The puzzle that had left him bemused and mixed up had finally become clear to him, and he knew what he'd been missing in his life. Gabriella was the solution to all the questions he'd yearned to be answered.

"Gabriella," Troy said softly as the music ceased and the gym was filled with daunting silence.

She tilted her head upwards slightly, devoting her attention to him as students all around watched, fixated on the sight before them.

Troy continued and held Gabriella's hands a little tighter. "There's something I need to tell you…"

Gabriella nodded, thinking of nothing else but the words she longed to hear. She found herself edging closer to him, unaware of her bold actions. Troy forgot everything he was about to say and simply let his mind wander to what his heart was calling for, leaning closer as well.

The DJ, however, was oblivious to the intimate moment that would've occurred if he had only waited a few more minutes before cranking up the bass on the next song. Gabriella and Troy jumped apart at the sudden beat from the speaker just above their heads and each closed their eyes irritably at their latest interruption.

When Troy opened his eyes again and saw Gabriella returning the same resentful look, he felt the same feelings he had felt just seconds ago rush into him like a gust of wind.

Before he could try to pick up where he left off, almost half of the basketball team came out of nowhere and surrounded Troy in a half-circle, completely cutting Gabriella off and unaware of what they were interrupting. They all began to speak at once and Troy couldn't tell one conversation apart from the other, nor did he care. All he wanted at that moment was to get back to Gabriella. He caught a glimpse of her disappointed expression as she crossed her arms around her stomach, sighing. She gave him a small smile.

"Later?" She mouthed silently.

Troy, in return, smiled back and nodded as he was promptly swallowed up by the cluster of basketball boys. Gabriella turned and walked away, staring at the floor unhappily with aggravation. _Why does this always happen to us?_ Gabriella asked herself as she made her way across the dance floor. _We get so close, and then… this._ She shook her head, unable to figure out the answer. Glancing up, she spotted Taylor at a table with Chad, apparently in a deep and serious conversation. From the looks of it, Taylor was blushing from something he had said, while Chad kept looking down out of embarrassment. Gabriella watched as Chad reached out and took hold of Taylor's hand, fighting to look her in the eye. Taylor appeared as if she were about to fall over from this new, previously inaccessible type of contact between them.

Gabriella felt a tiny smile form for her friend and decided not to bother them, as much as she wanted some company at that moment. She walked out of the gym doors, ignoring the voices of those who called out her name and went down a long hallway, anxious to get some cooler and more breathable air. As she turned a corner and entered the bathroom, she hoped that someday, her and Troy might be lucky enough to have just one moment without something or someone interfering.

* * *

Sharpay started as the door of the bathroom opened, turning quickly to see who it was. She unexpectedly laid eyes on Gabriella herself, who froze at the sight of Sharpay glaring back at her. Gabriella didn't know what to say and was now caught in a very awkward situation, as she'd been avoiding being anywhere near her unless she had no way of preventing it. Gabriella knew she still hated her for stealing her part in the musical (even though she hadn't technically stolen the part at all), and after being filled in on the consequences of upsetting someone like Sharpay Evans, Gabriella had taken all precautions as to evade another run-in with her.

As Gabriella turned to leave before something began, Sharpay took advantage of the situation at hand and began to speak.

"So, Gabriella…" Sharpay said derisively as she folded her arms across her chest. "How's the musical coming?"

Gabriella paused at the half-way open door, trying to decide on whether or not she should ignore her and run. Her conscience and pure common sense told her to get out of there as fast as she possibly could; this _was _Sharpay, the girl who'd tried to ruin everything between her and Troy for her own petty desires. But then a small voice spoke from the back of her head and reminded Gabriella that everyone deserves a second chance. Besides, it had been close to a month since their callback. Chances are, Sharpay was over the controversy that had occurred between them.

Gabriella let the door shut and an overwhelming feeling of imprisonment cast over her as she turned around. She felt like she was trapped in the small, confined room with a tiger ready to pounce on its prey - and Gabriella was the latter. Looking up at Sharpay, Gabriella felt her stomach clench at the slightly malicious look she was giving her and she wished she had listened to her gut instead of her head.

"It's been fine." Gabriella responded, standing still in her place.

Sharpay smirked. "_Just_ fine?" She asked, turning to look at her reflection in the mirror. "I expected something a little more enthusiastic, considering what lengths you took to get where you are."

"The lengths _I_ took? What about you?" Gabriella blurted without thinking.

Sharpay wasn't fazed by the sudden outburst, but continued to inspect herself in the mirror. "You look very nice tonight." She said, changing the subject.

Gabriella was taken aback by this and didn't reply. Staring at Sharpay, she tried to figure out what exactly was going on here, but couldn't sum it up to anything remotely sane.

Sharpay glanced at her from the corner of her eye and delighted in her confusion.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Sharpay asked. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Troy's never had a girlfriend before."

Gabriella still didn't move, but watched Sharpay intently now that the focus was on Troy. She was confused about the randomness of her statements, but tried not to let it show.

"He's never had a girlfriend," Sharpay said, turning to face Gabriella with a smile. "But he's had a first kiss. It may have just been a Spin the Bottle game at an eighth grade birthday party, but it was still a kiss - and it was perfect." A dreamy look crossed over Sharpay's eyes and she sighed reminiscently. "I can still remember how shy he looked, it was so adorable the way he didn't look up at me until the very last second and his lips touched mine…" She looked down at the ground, blushing from this memory.

Gabriella felt extreme jealousy at this shared recollection, and then looked at her closely, recognizing something past Sharpay's smile and defiantly crossed arms. And then Gabriella worked out something she hadn't seen coming.

"You… you like him, don't you?" Gabriella said slowly, finally understanding.

Sharpay rolled her eyes, coming back to the present. "No, Gabriella, it's much deeper than that…" She took a step closer. "_Much_ deeper… Do you want to know _why_ Troy's never had a girlfriend? He's been waiting for the perfect person to come along and steal his heart from him. He's been patient all these years, but so have I," Sharpay said, taking a few more steps closer, causing Gabriella to scoot backwards.

"Do you have _any_ idea how long I've wanted him?" Sharpay asked vehemently as her voice raised with each word. "Can you even _imagine_ the feelings I have harbored inside? Do you have an _inkling_, of I'd give to be with him?"

Sharpay suddenly stepped back and put her hands on her hips impertinently. A spiteful smile formed on her mouth and she raised her eyebrows cynically. "Do you really think Troy would want _you_, the school know-it-all? I'll admit it, you have looks, but Troy's much deeper than skin-deep pleasures." She leaned forward again and stared her straight in the eye. "He wants a girl with _feeling_, someone who knows what they're doing… and you, sadly, don't have a clue."

Gabriella felt a pang in her heart and remained quiet, unable to think of something to say.

"Don't think I haven't figured it out. God, the whole _school_, Gabriella, has it figured out. But it's _never_ going to happen." Sharpay said. "There is no 'Troy and Gabriella.' There's just Troy… and there's just the meek, quiet, shy, _insecure_, hesitant, _freak_ of a girl who wants something she can never have."

Gabriella felt herself grow more furious by the second with each word that came out of Sharpay's mouth. Her hands curled into angry fists, her entire body shaking with fury at being called such things.

"Frankly," Sharpay said as she gave Gabriella a look. "I don't see why Troy is spending so much time with you in the first place… probably just pity. I mean, one look at you and anyone would feel sorry."

"Shut up!" Gabriella yelled, feeling heat rise from her body. "Just shut up! Troy isn't like that! He'd _never_ hurt me! He cares about me for me, not because he pities me! _You're_ the one he'd never be with, the way _you_ treat people." The words came out before Gabriella could stop them. She hadn't been treated this badly in ages, and she was sick of always taking it without a word in response. This abuse had pushed her over the edge.

A hint of anger pulsed through Sharpay, and for a moment she felt an urge to punch Gabriella to the ground. Immediately, she came to her senses and realized that this would make the last phase of her plan all the more believable and heart-shattering. Narrowing her eyes, Sharpay took one menacing step closer.

"You think so?" She asked with a voice like poisoned honey. "Well, why don't we just let _him_ be the judge of that." And without another word, Sharpay marched out of the bathroom, leaving an irate and livid Gabriella behind.

Gabriella's heart beat fast and furious, fists still clenched at the intensity of Sharpay's words. How dare she say those things… how dare she tell her she wasn't good enough for Troy… In her anger, Gabriella kicked over the large plastic trashcan, paper towels flying everywhere as it thudded to the ground. Her breaths came out quick and uneven, sighing angrily to herself.

What Sharpay had said about her not having a clue and being insecure didn't hurt nearly as much as the proclamation that Troy would never want her. That part had hurt the most. Gabriella knew inside that Troy would never hurt her, but was Sharpay right? Could Troy ever want her as anything more than a friend?

Closing her eyes, Gabriella sighed and thought back to their dance only minutes ago. She thought of how he'd held her close, and how she'd felt so cared for and special and wonderful when she was with him. She thought of how he'd seemed resentful to let her go, and found herself wondering what he had wanted to say to her when the song had ended.

Feeling calmer and more at ease, Gabriella opened the bathroom door and made her way back to the gym with a newfound anxiety to find Troy and pick up where they'd left off. She didn't care if she had to fight off the whole basketball team to get to him.

_She's wrong._ Gabriella thought to herself. _Troy's not like that. He'd never fall for someone as shallow and cruel as Sharpay, especially after what she tried to do to us… Sharpay has nothing to prove to me._

And with that thought, her spirits rose profoundly and her stride grew more confident and quick, eager to get back to her date and forget this ugliness had ever happened.

* * *

Sharpay's steps were loud and fast-paced, as if letting everyone know that she was in the corridor and that they would be wise to get out of her way. A smug smile had made its way across her face and wasn't likely to fade anytime soon. She knew her words had stung Gabriella greatly, which was exactly what she'd been hoping for. Sharpay could read facial expressions like an open book, and Gabriella's had been completely obscured. She could tell Gabriella was so certain she knew that Troy would never do something as horrible to her as what Sharpay had said, but at the same time, she could see a flicker of doubt hanging by a thread among the assurance of her statement.

Sharpay, of course, knew Gabriella was right. She'd known Troy for years, and of the many redeeming qualities he possessed, one of his most admirable was the fact that his first thought was always on someone other than himself. He never went back on his friends, he was loyal, and he cared about _everybody - _even if they were a nobody. What made this plan of Sharpay's so incredibly foolproof was the fact that she knew all about Gabriella's doubt, and that solitary string of doubt would be what held everything together, right before it fell apart.

Sharpay entered the dark gym and scanned the crowd for Troy, hands on her hips impatiently. After what seemed like ages, she finally spotted him walking across the dance floor. From his constant glances through the crowd, he seemed to be looking for someone.

Sharpay smiled, flipping her hair back and straightening out her dress. Taking a deep breath, she made her way towards him, her stomach churning with anticipation and nerves jumbled together. This moment was what she'd been waiting for her whole life. She wasn't going to let it slip away when it was so close to her grasp.

"Hi, Troy…" Sharpay said as she tapped his shoulder gently from behind.

Troy turned around quickly, hoping to see Gabriella. He'd been searching for her relentlessly, thinking of how to pick up where they'd been interrupted. So far, he'd come up with nothing worthwhile or meaningful enough to say. All he knew was that he _had_ to talk to her. As he looked down at Sharpay, he tried to hide his disappointment.

"Hi, Sharpay." Troy said as his eyes flickered up to search the crowd ever few seconds. "Um, have you seen Gabriella anywhere?"

Sharpay forced herself not to scowl in irritation. "No, but you can talk to _me._" She said eagerly.

This was the last thing Troy wanted. "Uh, listen, not to be rude, but I _really_ need to find Gabriella first…"

"Gabriella can wait, Troy!" Sharpay suddenly exclaimed. She was the one who couldn't wait. She'd waited long enough.

"I mean," Sharpay said quickly, catching herself before she went any further. "You brought her here, you're going to be with her for a while, you'll have plenty of time to talk later. Right now, I was kinda wondering…" She twirled her hair slowly and raised her big brown eyes to look at his own. "Do you want to dance?" She asked with a hint of fear.

Troy felt very awkward. He knew Sharpay was someone to steer clear of, and after her and Ryan's plot to stop him and Gabriella from getting the lead roles in the musical, he was more keen than ever to stay away. He didn't want to hurt Sharpay's feelings, but in this case, he had no choice.

"Sharpay, I'm really sorry… but - I just can't. This is important." Looking up again, he scanned the crowd and sighed when he didn't find her. "Gabriella needs to hear what I have to say…"

Sharpay was getting impatient now. She had to wake him up from his fairy-tale dream and make him come back to reality. She wanted so desperately to see what was (and always had been) right in front of him long before Gabriella ever came into the picture. He _had_ to… And she wasn't backing down yet.

As if on cue, Sharpay saw Gabriella enter the gym and was meandering about, undoubtedly looking for Troy. Sharpay's spirits sunk. This was not good. Not good _at all._ She couldn't let Troy see Gabriella. If he did, she'd lose him forever and her one chance would never be given back. She'd spent too much time dwelling on what she wished would happen… now it was time to make that wish become reality. It was time to stop fearing the unknown and find out what would happen for herself instead of making up a hundred scenarios to her liking. It was time to act on her feelings and make them known to Troy, and if Gabriella was there to see the show, then she was more than welcome.

Sharpay grabbed Troy's shoulders forcibly, catching him completely off-guard. She took no notice of this and stared straight into his eyes eagerly with a seductive smile plastered on her lips. She couldn't wait any longer. She had to do this _now_.

"Ok, Troy…" Sharpay said as her heart beat faster. "You don't want to dance? That's perfectly fine with me. I don't think we need to waste any more time now, do we? Let's just get to the point and come clean. Me first…" And with that, Sharpay leaned forward and kissed him, keeping her grip firm and secure. Troy was so shocked and stunned beyond belief that he couldn't think… as loud as his inner voice told him to move, his feet seemed rooted to the floor, unable to break away.

* * *

Gabriella entered the gym, impulsively trying to spot Troy among the horde of people. With joy, she spotted him standing next to someone and began to walk over, attempting to think of some way to let him know what she so very badly wanted to tell him.

_It's going to be fine._ Gabriella thought to herself._ Just say… I don't know what to say! But it'll be fine! It has to be. Let's see, um… Troy, I need to - No, that's not right. Um, Troy, I just wanted to… Ugh, come on, think… think of something… Troy, I -_

She stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropping slowly as her heart seemed to fall with it. Her eyes grew wide with disbelief at what she saw, only twenty yards away, locked in an intense kiss. At first, she thought she'd mistaken the two faces, but as she got a closer look, her fears were confirmed. It was Sharpay Evans… and Troy Bolton.

"No…" Gabriella whispered as her stomach turned nauseously. She blinked a few times, praying that the atrocious sight before her was a horrible nightmare. It wasn't. Her heart felt like someone was squeezing it, she felt like she'd been punched in the stomach, and that person looked a lot like Sharpay. Backing up slowly, Gabriella turned around and bolted out of the gym and down an empty hallway, her mind spinning in all directions at once, filled with nothing but hurt and pain and defeat.

Without knowing where she was going, Gabriella ambled up a flight of stairs, tripping as her legs grew weaker with each passing second. Pushing open a door at the top of the steps, she thrust herself through it and fell forward onto cold, hard concrete and met a gust of cold winter air that sent shivers down her spine. Gabriella leaned on her hands and knees, not caring that her new dress had acquired a small tear at the hem. Picking herself up, a feeble sob escaped her as she tried to steady herself against the metal railing of the rooftop - Troy's secret hiding place.

Feeling her knees buckle, Gabriella succumbed to her weak state and let herself slide against the wall until she hit the ground. Sharpay's ugly words came back, haunting her as she closed her eyes and pictured the horrible scene replaying in her mind like an endless movie.

_Do you really think Troy would want you? He wants a girl with feeling, someone who knows what they're doing… and you, sadly, don't have a clue. There is no 'Troy and Gabriella.' There's only Troy… and the freak of a girl who wants something she can never have._

Tears flooded from Gabriella's eyes and she sobbed miserably. She had never been so devastated about anything, or anyone for that matter and she felt her heart breaking in two unfixable pieces. Her sobs intensified as she came to terms with the fact that Sharpay had been right after all. Troy could never want. Sharpay had made her feelings known, and Gabriella had been too scared to even admit what she felt to herself… just like Taylor had said.

_But he promised…_ Gabriella thought to herself as she allowed her tears to fall ruthlessly as despair took over. She remembered their night together at his house, watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It seemed like years ago, but Gabriella remembered his warm words as they said their goodbyes like it had been yesterday. A sudden rush of tears escaped and her stomach twisted in agony at the new pain she now felt deep within her as she thought back.

_He promised he'd never hurt me…_

* * *

Ok, so maybe it took me a little longer to write this chapter, but the last week has been so hectic and physically exhausting, so cut me a little slack! I was going to update a few days ago, but I wanted to make sure this chapter really accented how much Gabriella was hurt by the seemingly lost chance to ever be with Troy. Notice how I said 'seemingly.' This chapter also shows how determined Sharpay is to have Troy all to herself and that she won't let anyone get in her way of that goal, and I wanted to make her thoughts as realistic as possible. Also, as you may have noticed, I added a little Chad/Taylor romance in there just to make everyone happy. (you didn't think I'd forget about them, did you?) Anyway, I have the next chapter all ready to post, and I have to say that I'm really happy with it. The next chapter is where everything comes together... but I won't give too much away. If I get at least 10 reviews in the next day or two, I'll post the next chapter as soon as I get the chance.


	10. I Should Tell You

**Chapter 10: I Should Tell You**

Troy leapt back from Sharpay, his shock subsiding and coming back to his senses. What was he _doing_? He shouldn't be there, he didn't _want_ to be there. He felt like he'd been an accomplice in a terrible crime that couldn't be forgiven, even though Sharpay had been the one that had come on to him. He was more confused than ever. Sharpay Evans, the most popular girl at East High, had professed feelings for him. Out of all the guys she could've picked, she chose _him_ - Troy Bolton.

"Troy…" Sharpay said, unsure of what to think when she saw his expression. Her head was still spinning from the incredible feeling of his lips on hers again after all those long years of dreaming and revisiting that memory. All she wanted at that moment was to experience it again.

Troy looked at her, one thought repeating through his head. _This isn't right… _He stepped away from Sharpay and shook his head, hating that he had to hurt her. "I can't do this, Sharpay." He said. "I'm sorry, but I can't show you the same feelings you've shown for me, because… I just… I can't." Turning around, he began to walk away and then he quite unexpectedly felt a hand wheel him back around and faced a very acrimonious Sharpay.

Sharpay gripped him so tightly that her hands were turning white from the amount of force she was exerting. Anger covered every inch of her face, confusion daunted from the inside out, and incomprehension hit her like a bullet. This could _not_ be happening. This was _not_ how the plan was supposed to go. She hadn't been prepared for this.

"What is so hard about this, Troy?" Sharpay hissed, digging her nails into him. "Why can't you care about me? What's holding you back?" She was near to screaming now as angry tears began to form in her chocolate-brown eyes.

As soon as her words had processed through his mind, Troy could only think of one simple answer to every question. _She_ was what made it so hard to look at anyone else, _she_ was the reason he couldn't care for anyone else the way he cared about her… _she_ was what was holding him back. _Gabriella._

Detaching Sharpay's sharp nails from his shoulders, he pulled away and looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry." He said. And with that, he turned and walked out the gym, feeling Sharpay's hurt and forlorn eyes staring after him, trying to comprehend what she'd done wrong.

* * *

Troy found himself wandering in and out of classrooms as he walked down various hallways, searching for Gabriella. He was barely thinking, just letting wherever his feet wanted to go take him to the desired destination. He had no control over them - they just went.

After a long while, he came across a familiar staircase. It seemed to call to him, whispering to Troy to enter the beckoning door. Troy felt as if an unknown force was pulling him to climb the steps, and deciding he could use a little fresh air to clear his mind, Troy allowed his feet to take him to the top where he pushed open the door and entered the cold domain. He shivered, not realizing how much the temperature had dropped in just a few hours. Suddenly, he heard a small sound and stood completely still to listen.

Quietly moving forward, he looked around the rooftop for the source of the sound. Hearing it again, he turned his head and then felt his stomach flip unsuspectingly. It was Gabriella, but in a way he'd never seen her before. She was standing at the balcony, arms crossed, and her head hanging down. He couldn't see her face, but he knew there was something wrong.

"Gabriella?" He said softly.

Gabriella didn't turn to look, she already knew who it was behind her. She'd know that voice anywhere. She felt her stomach churn, knowing she couldn't run away this time. Part of her wished Troy would've just left with Sharpay and abandoned Gabriella so she wouldn't have to face him. After what she'd seen, Gabriella wasn't sure how much more heart-ache she could handle in one night. Forcing her tears to stay hidden, she took a deep breath and spoke shakily.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she continued to stare into the night.

Troy took a step closer. "I came to look for you… I uh, finally got away from the guys… and um… I wanted to talk."

Gabriella shook her head and closed her eyes. "Save it, I don't want to hear anything you've got to say."

Troy felt a small pang at this remark and took another step so that he was right behind her. "What's wrong?" He asked. He placed a consoling hand on her shoulder, silently begging her to explain what was going on.

"Gabriella, look at me." He asked pleadingly.

"No." Gabriella said firmly.

"Please." Troy said with more urgency.

"No!" Gabriella exclaimed as she pushed his hand off her and moved away. Troy merely followed like a lost puppy, anxious to get her to talk to him.

"What's going on?" Troy asked, trying to look at her face.

Gabriella turned the other way, not wanting to look back at him. This was already painful enough.

"What did I do?" Troy questioned as he moved to her other side, only to have her turn the other way.

"Just leave me alone!" Gabriella yelled. "Go be with Sharpay! I know it's what you want…" A sob escaped her and she cursed herself for being so weak.

This paroxysm had quieted Troy immediately. Confusion spread through him like a virus, and he was unable to understand what Gabriella was talking about. Him and Sharpay? She had to be crazy.

"What -" Troy began, but he was cut off as Gabriella spun around and he set his eyes on her beautiful face, which now looked almost unrecognizable. Black, uneven stripes ran down her cheeks and turned her tan skin a dull ashy color. Smudges around her eyes gave away copious tears and Troy knew she'd been crying sorrowfully, and he wished he'd been there to take them away.

"You know what I mean, Troy." Gabriella choked out, not making eye contact with him. "I _saw_ you kiss her! I _saw_ you! Sharpay, _why_ Sharpay, Troy? Do you even _remember_ what she did to us?" Gabriella felt her tears threatening to fall again and she turned away from Troy, praying she could keep it together. "Why am I wasting my time on this? It doesn't even matter to you anyway. It never did. Just… go away… we're finished here." Her heart ached as she spoke those untrue words. The very last thing she wanted was for him to leave. If he walked out those doors now, Gabriella knew that what they had would be lost forever and she'd never get it back. It would be nothing more than a dream she hadn't been able to make come true, and eventually it would fade away forever. _That_ was the last thing she ever wanted.

A few moments of silence passed and Gabriella felt her heart plunge to the floor, thinking Troy really had left. But that fear vanished as she felt Troy's firm but gentle hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him. She allowed him to do so, anxious to feel his touch one last time before he walked away for good.

Troy looked her straight in the eye, determined to make what he had to say very, very clear to her. She had everything wrong… and he intended on rectifying the situation to Gabriella no matter what it took to convince her of the truth.

"Gabriella," Troy said as he wiped away a grayish tear from her face with his forefinger. "Don't think for a _second_, that you don't matter to me. You matter _so much_ that I can't even begin to explain it." He grazed his thumb across her cheek, catching another tear before it could fall any further. "What you saw, it wasn't what you think."

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella said. It was her time to be confused. "You were - "

"_She_ came on to _me_." Troy said unwaveringly. As he saw Gabriella freeze before him, he suddenly felt a feeling so intense, so unexpected, so unlike everything he had felt in those past few weeks that it sent severe shivers up his spine. Weeks before, those feelings had been uncertain, confused, and doubtful. He hadn't known what to do or how to feel or what made sense or not anymore. But whenever Gabriella was with him, he'd felt those feelings intensify to a degree he couldn't describe with mere words. Now, standing on that roof with Gabriella, desperate to make everything right between them, those feelings had never been more evident.

"She came on to me, and do you know what I did?" Troy asked as he moved his hands down to uncross her arms from her stomach. "I pushed her away." He said softly.

Gabriella looked up at him, her brown eyes still sparkling with unshed tears that had yet to fall.

"I pulled away," Troy began. "because that wasn't what I wanted. I don't want to be with Sharpay, Gabriella. How can you think that? Of_ course_ I remember what she tried to do to us. How could I be with someone who treated not only me, but _you_, someone I care about, so badly?"

Gabriella remained silent, keeping her eyes connected with Troy's as he continued speaking hastily.

"Do you know what she asked me when I pulled away?" Troy probed, not waiting for an answer. "She asked me what was holding me back. Until now, I never knew what exactly that was, but now I have an answer." Taking his hands off Gabriella, he backed up a few steps and gripped handfuls of his hair exasperatedly, the words coming out as soon as they developed in his mind.

"Gabriella, when I met you, something… something in me changed. I found myself thinking about you constantly, wondering what you were doing, where you were, what you were thinking about." Troy rambled. "And it drove me absolutely _crazy_ when I was with you, because you do something to me, Gabriella. You do something so powerfully to me that I can barely think of anything else. You leave me speechless. You make my mind spin in constant circles that never seem to stop moving. You catch me off guard whenever you enter a room. And now, I can't think of any place I'd rather be than standing here with you, right now…" He took a deep breath, gathering his strength for the last thing he had to say.

"This is out of my control, Gabriella." He said quietly, looking down. "I don't think we met by accident, and I don't think I can ignore fate any longer. I just… I need to know if…" He couldn't get it out. He had tried as hard as he could, and that would have to do for her. There was nothing left for him to say.

Troy's words left Gabriella shocked, completely lost for words. _Never_ in all her life had someone spoken such beautiful things to her. She felt herself shake, uncertain if it was the cold or the intensity of the hidden meanings in the words Troy had said.

Memories of the past overflowed her very thoughts, taking her back to times she'd never dreamed she would get the chance to experience. She saw herself, standing on a stage on a cold New Year's Eve, singing like it was the most natural thing in the world to a boy she didn't know, but felt like she'd known forever. The day she had walked into a small homeroom class that fateful morning, seeing him again after convincing herself she never would. Singing in the auditorium to a song they'd never rehearsed, with a lonely pianist they'd only just met. On the rooftop of the school, and the first time he'd taken her hand in his. On the stage once more, singing in front of half the school, mic in her hands… One boy and his tender look, trying to prove to the world he was so much more than what he chose to show. And one girl standing beside him, longing to understand what she was feeling deep inside herself that she couldn't quite seem to place.

Suddenly, in that moment, Gabriella knew. Gathering up all her courage, she slowly walked over to Troy until she was standing directly in front of him. Hesitantly, Troy looked up and saw her there, standing closer than she'd ever been to him. She wasn't smiling, but she was no longer hysterical, although one solitary tear escaped and ran down her cheek. Troy instantaneously lifted his hand to wipe it away and let his fingertips linger, never noticing how soft her face was.

Gabriella moved half a step closer, glancing down for a moment before setting her shaking hands on his shoulders, near his neck. Her heart was pounding like a drum and she was sure he could hear it. She forgot about Sharpay, she forgot about Taylor, she forgot about everyone who didn't matter and only focused on the boy standing inches away. Moving again another inch, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Why me, Troy?" She asked in a hushed tone, looking down.

Troy lifted her chin and met her captivating orbs which seemed to illuminate in the moonlight that was now glowing overtop of them. Becoming very serious, he moved even closer so that there was barely any space between them. As he placed his hands on her waist, Gabriella took pleasure in his touch once more and exhaled deeply.

Troy stared intently into her eyes and took in a shaky breath. "Because you make me feel things I never thought I'd feel… things no one has ever made me feel before…" He whispered faintly. "You're the one I've been waiting for…"

Gabriella's heart fluttered back into its rightful place and her worrisome thoughts were put to rest forever. He cared. He really and truly cared; more than she ever thought he could. After all this time and all the confusion she'd had to endure, everything was clear to her. She felt an avid want for him burning inside, consuming every thought and conception until she finally surrendered to her long-awaited desire. Leaning forward, Gabriella did what she'd waited so long to do… and their lips connected.

It was everything she'd ever hoped it would be. His lips were so soft and perfect. Every single part of him was flawless and she wouldn't change anything about him, whether it was inside or outside, even if she had the chance. Her hands wove around his neck, pulling him closer as Troy's grip on her waist loosened in a rendering daze. Gabriella couldn't remember feeling so elated. This wasn't some fantasy - it was real… and it was happening to _her_.

Troy pulled back slowly, leaning his forehead against Gabriella's own warm oneas their breaths came out quick and heavy. He'd never felt so alive, and he felt like his life had so much more meaning than just basketball twenty-four seven. He had someone to care about… and someone to care for him.

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open and her cheeks flushed the deepest shade of red as her hands floated down his arms, knowing she needed to say what needed to be said before they were surely interrupted yet again.

"I love you." Gabriella whispered, meaning it with every fiber of her being. She had finally said it. Those three little words, those eight individual letters, that one small sentence. Gabriella no longer doubted the feelings that churned inside of her, because she knew they were real. Sharpay could say what she wanted for all Gabriella cared, but no matter how hard she could strive to tear them apart, Gabriella knew Sharpay could never take what she felt for Troy away from her.

Troy felt like he was soaring as he took her hands, lifting his head and gazing back at her. Was he really here, with the most beautiful and incredible girl he'd ever met? Was she truly saying the things he'd hoped and prayed she felt for him? How could this be reality? He wondered, but his astonishment quickly faded as he smiled, knowing that this was indeed actually happening.

"Gabby…" Troy said softly as he drew her closer. "I love you more than you can imagine. More than anything in the world. I'd give _everything_ to be with you… You don't know how long I've wanted to tell you that."

Gabriella felt her knees momentarily buckle underneath her before regaining some composure, although her legs were still weakening with each moment that passed. Circling her arms around his neck once more, she inched closer, feeling the intense longing for him again.

"You've never called me that before…" Gabriella said, smiling shyly.

"Is that ok?" Troy asked.

Gabriella forced back a giggle, loving how adorably cautious he was being and how he asked for her permission on every little thing. "It's _more_ than ok." Gabriella said as she pushed back a lock of her hair and placed her hand back around his neck. "And to avoid any more questions," Gabriella said softly. "_This _is ok too…" Leaning forward again and closing her eyes, she captured his mouth with hers. She kissed him slowly and gently, savoring every second, not wanting this night to end. The tears she had cried earlier were long gone, and all thoughts of what Sharpay had said vanished from further thought. She gave a small, barely audible moan of pleasure as the kiss deepened, feeling Troy's arms locking around her waist tenderly and let herself soar right along with him, no longer thinking, but giving in to the moment and completely breaking away from the bondage that had held her down like a slave to its master… and she was free.

* * *

Neither of them noticed that they were being watched. From the stairs, a stunned, trembling, brokenhearted girl stood staring after them with tears cascading down her face and feeling much, much more than rejection alone punch her in the gut. Sharpay watched Gabriella take hold of the lips she'd only been able to reach for in her dreams and her heart jumped to her throat. She _had_ kissed Troy that night, that was true. But Sharpay knew she'd never be able to kiss him like Gabriella could… knowing he would willingly respond in return.

She turned around and stumbled down the stairs, steadying herself by the railing. She didn't care where she went, just as long as she was sure no one would find her. Pushing open a door at the end of another hallway, Sharpay reached out and flipped on the light and knew where she was without having to look up. Throwing herself in one of the soft identical seats, her sobs echoed in the auditorium and she no longer cared about keeping her makeup in tact or staying strong and unemotional. The stage was the only place where she felt like she truly belonged, and now she didn't even have that anymore. Her cries were never heard, there was no one there to wipe her tears away, and there was not one person searching the crowded gym, trying to find out where she'd gone.

* * *

Yes, after 10 long, suspensful, at times frustrating chapters, they're finally together. But this isn't the end! Oh no, I have big plans before this story comes to a close. I'm hoping to get at least 10 more chapters written, but I can't make any promises. Any of you who have ever written a fanfic that gets such pleading reviews like this one doesknows how difficult it can be at times to keep the plot interesting all the way through. Just so everyone knows, it may be awhile before I post another chapter. My week is currently filled with school and tests, and then on Saturday (which is usually my big writing day) I'm going to be out of town and won't be getting back until late, so chances are, it'll be at least 2 weeks before I come up with the next chapter. hate to disappoint you all... but that's just how it is. i hope this chapter is as appealing as you wanted it to be, because i worked my butt off trying to find a way to pull everything together in this chapter. REWIEW! i broke 100, which will hopefully attract more readers to the story, so let's keep shooting for higher! (and if you write something really detailed, i'll give you a special thanks at the end of the story : P )


	11. Someone to Love

**Chapter 11: Someone to Love**

Gabriella sighed contentedly as she listened to Troy breathe in and out, holding her hand gently. Neither of them knew exactly how long they'd been there on the roof, nor did they care. All that mattered was the person sitting next to the other, and all that had been said in that unforgettable evening of drama. Not even the drama mattered anymore… why bother themselves with the past when all they could think of was the future? Particularly, _their_ future.

Gabriella's head lay on Troy's shoulder comfortably, enjoying how right it felt to finally do the things she'd dreamed of doing without fear of the consequences. After everything that had taken place that evening, all Gabriella wanted to do was be with him and never let him go.

"Is this really happening?" Gabriella asked, running her thumb across his fingers slowly.

Troy turned and smiled before kissing the top of her head lovingly. "Yes." He whispered. "Why do you ask?"

Gabriella closed her eyes at the warm sensation flowing down her face and filling her body. "Because if this is nothing more than a dream," She began. "Then I never want to wake up…"

Troy smiled and held her hand a bit tighter, wrapping his other arm around her shoulders tenderly. Gabriella scooted closer to him and sighed again, her heart flying everywhere at once. She'd never felt so wonderful in all her life. This feeling really was like no other, and Gabriella wished she could be in this moment with him forever. When she had first touched his lips, she felt like an old part of her had washed away and a new skin had begun to form over her past pain and doubt that had so haunted her thoughts, preventing her from seeing what was right in front of her all along. Everything was so different now. Gabriella felt like it wasn't even her living in this moment. How could she, when everything was so perfect and seamless? This couldn't possibly be _her_ life. And yet… it was.

Troy shifted in his seat and lifted Gabriella's chin to look at him, her brown orbs drawing him to a complacency that he'd never known until that night. Softly, he moved his hand to the side of her face and used his thumb to caress her cheek. Gabriella closed her eyes, freely leaning into his satisfying touch. Troy swallowed nervously, knowing he needed to have his one last worry responded to and cleared out of the way before going any further.

"Gabriella?" He said.

"Yeah?" She replied, her eyes still shut with pleasure.

"Do you… do you regret anything you said tonight or… anything you…" He gulped. "Did?"

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open and she looked at Troy, not even having to think over her answer. There was nothing to think about. She had known the true answer from the moment she'd met him, although it had taken much longer to realize it. Staring straight into his blue, slightly anxious eyes, she smiled.

"No." She whispered.

Troy breathed a sigh of relief and nodded his head. "Good… good… so, uh… w-what now?"

Gabriella giggled at how adorable he was being. "Why don't you tell me?" She asked.

Troy grinned and looked down, turning slightly red. He rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath. "Well, I was, uh… I w-was hoping that you'd um… be my… girlfriend?" He said, knowing he sounded like a complete idiot and hating it.

Gabriella felt her heart pound as she heard those words and she took his hand, causing him to look up at her smiling face.

"I like the sound of that…" She said, pulling him up off the bench. "_I_, Gabriella Montez, am Troy Bolton's _girlfriend_." She averted her eyes to the sky, pretending to think it over. "Gabriella Montez, freaky genius girl, has a boyfriend…" She took a small step towards him and draped her arms around his neck. "Troy Bolton, the most sought-after guy at East High… is no longer available."

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Troy asked with a smile. However, Gabriella's expression had transformed into a much serious one as she gazed up at him, stars sparkling in her eyes.

"You have _no_ idea…" She whispered. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward and kissed him, loving how incredible his lips felt on hers. It was a feeling so intense, so wonderful, so completely and utterly satisfactory that it sent her into a whirlwind of emotions she could just barely contain.

They pulled back, each a little more breathless than before. Suddenly, Troy lifted her up by the waist and spun her around, picking up speed. Gabriella shrieked and tightened her grip around his neck, pulling herself closer to him as they went in circles. She laughed and felt herself shudder with elation as he wrapped his arms around her entire body while continuing to spin. As Troy slowed down, Gabriella's laughter subsided and she enjoyed the feel of his soft locks through her fingers and how she seemed to fit into his arms perfectly. He was like the last piece of the puzzle that had finally been found at the bottom of the box. Impatient at finishing the masterpiece, but definitely worth the wait once the picture was complete.

They stood in their embrace for a minute, each wishing they could stay that way forever. Unfortunately, it was getting late, and the once loud and booming music that had been playing could no longer be heard from below. Letting go of Gabriella's waist and taking her hands in his, he smiled and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

"We should get going." He said. "Your mom's probably wondering where you are."

Disappointed, Gabriella nodded. "Yeah…" She allowed him to lead her down the stairs and back into the school, where they found that there was hardly anyone left in the gym. A few couples were swaying back and forth to a slow song, trying to soak up the last bit of the evening they could, but other than that, the school was empty. Taylor and Chad had left earlier, completely forgetting about their friends and waiting up for them after the formal.

No one had seen Sharpay for hours, nor did they send search parties to seek her out. To a majority of the school, a party was only a good one if it didn't include Sharpay the Ice Queen, and she was quickly forgotten.

Crossing through the gym, Troy led Gabriella after him, gently pulling her along. He didn't notice the stares that were following them from the remaining students, and how their eyes widened and smiles formed as they excitedly began to converse with each other, the subject painfully obvious.

As the two exited the school and made their way to the parking lot, Gabriella shivered from the sudden gust of wintry wind. She was amazed at how cold it felt on the outside while inside her very soul, she couldn't have been warmer. Troy sensed her shivering and let go of her hand, wrapping his arm around her side comfortingly and pulling her closer as they walked. Gabriella gratefully leaned into his inviting arm and responded by encasing her own arm around him, walking in time with his steps.

Troy opened the car door for her and then got in himself. They were silent the entire way to the Montez's house, both deep in thought. Troy had to fight to keep his eyes on the road instead of Gabriella, for he felt that if he averted his gaze for just a moment, she'd be gone and he'd be alone once more after he finally found the one person that made his life whole. Gabriella too found it difficult to pull her eyes off of Troy and his compelling physique, wishing she was in his powerful arms again. They continued to steal glances at each other from time to time, hastily looking away and blushing when their eyes met. After what seemed like only a few minutes, Troy pulled up to Gabriella's house and parked the car at the edge of the driveway, anxious to prolong the night for as long as he possibly could.

Before Gabriella could reach for the handle of the door, Troy was there, opening it and catching Gabriella off guard. Silently, Troy held out his hand. Obliging to his wishes, Gabriella took it and let him slowly help her out of the car and to her porch, smiling at how unreal this all felt.

When they reached the front door, Gabriella stopped and turned to face him with an indecisive look, a vital and urgent notion suddenly finding its way to the front of her mind. She glanced away and her eyes darted back and forth, quickly trying to decide if she should speak her thoughts or let them fade away into nothing. Troy noticed and fought to catch her eye.

"Gabriella?" He asked gently, loosening his grip on her hand but not removing it.

Gabriella sighed and looked towards the ground. "Is this really what you want?" She asked somewhat shakily.

"What do you mean?" He asked, letting her hand fall to her side and hating the emptiness he felt without her own in his.

"_This…_" Gabriella said exasperatedly as she looked up at him. "You, me… _us_… Is it what you _really_ want?" Sighing again and crossing her arms around her stomach, she spoke more firmly than before, finding composure. "I need to know that this isn't just a spur of the moment kind of thing. I need to know that you won't run away from what happened tonight… Because, you know you can't, Troy. It's too late. We can't change the past. I just…" She paused. "I need to know that you _meant_ everything you said back there… and that you really do love me."

Troy didn't waste a single second in answering her. The very last thing he wanted was for Gabriella to have any reason to doubt his words and how much he believed in them. Before Gabriella could even blink, Troy had uncrossed her arms and had taken both hands in his own, holding them as if it were the last thing he would ever do. She found his eyes and saw how desperate they looked, almost as if they were pleading to speak for themselves.

"Yes." Troy said determinedly. "Yes, this is what I want. I _want_ to be with you, Gabriella Montez. I will _never_ run from you, and I wouldn't change the past for _anything_, because being up there with you and hearing you say everything you said was one of the happiest moments of my life. I _meant_ it Gabriella." He said as he smiled. "I meant every word. Please… _please_ believe me." He began to breathe quickly, trying to catch his breath and never taking his eyes off her as he waited for an answer.

A joyful tear ran down Gabriella's cheek and her smile had never shone so bright. A relieved breath escaped her and Troy brushed the tear away, burying his hand into her long hair. They gazed at each other for a moment longer and then with one last smile, Gabriella leaned forward and placed both hands on Troy's shoulders, kissing him softly. Pulling back barely an inch, their eyes connected and spoke things that didn't need voices to comprehend the deep meanings within the words. And closing her eyes, giving in to her churning stomach and aching heart, she gently kissed him once more.

"I believe you…" Gabriella whispered.

Troy placed his lips on her cheek and lingered for a second, pulling back and holding her hand. "I love you." He said. Slowly backing away, keeping his eyes on the lovely girl standing before him, their hands stayed together until he was forced to let go and face the emptiness once again.

Gabriella's heart had jumped to her throat and she couldn't speak. Everything she wanted to say didn't seem good enough, and had she the choice of pouring out every feeling and emotion of what this night had meant to her, there wouldn't have been enough time in the day to say all that could be said. So she simply waved meekly and kept her eyes on him until he had gotten into his car and drove off in the opposite direction (quite unwillingly, she observed.)

Turning the doorknob carefully as to avoid waking her mother up, she stepped into the dark house and felt for the stairs. She slipped off her shoes and felt comfort as her sore feet hit the soft carpet. She softly tiptoed up the stairs and to her room, closing the door quietly behind her. She paused as it clicked into place and all was silent throughout the house. For a moment she remained emotionless and still, wondering if she would wake up tomorrow and find that this wonderful, amazing night had all been a dream… and that she hadn't lived that blissful moment after all.

Reaching up very slowly, she touched her lips with her fingertips. She shivered as she remembered the feel of his lips on hers… the warmth that had flooded from head to toe… the intense feeling of value and worth when he had held her in those arms of his… and she knew she hadn't been dreaming.

A huge grin broke across her face and her stomach began to toss as her heart stuck firmly in its place. She began to spin around in circles and closed her eyes, pleasure and pure elation filling up every inch of her body. Giggling, she thrust open the doors to her balcony and laughed aloud, wanting the whole world to be happy with her. Closing the doors again, she changed out of her dress into sweats, the smile only growing bigger as the minutes passed and she recollected the evening's events.

She didn't even bother taking off her makeup, for she was too happy to worry about how she would look in the morning. She had someone to care for her now, and he wasn't concerned about if she looked like a model or not. _She had someone to love her. _

Jumping onto her bed, Gabriella laughed with joy and clutched her pillow tightly as she gazed up at the ceiling. She'd never been so happy. And to think that all it took was one boy, whom she never would've met if she had bolted from that stage on New Year's Eve, that fateful night which seemed so long ago.

* * *

Took me awhile to get this chapter up... I had a little writer's block the past week, so sorry if it's not one of my best chapters. This one's just meant to be a filler. I wanted to make the relationship start out really lifelike. Everyone is scared to jump into a relationship head-on, so you can understand that Gabriella wanted to make sure Troy was all in so she wouldn't have to deal with the pain and heartache of having him run away right when she confessed her love for him. Of course, Troy _is_ all in, and now that Gabriella knows that for a fact, prepare for a lot of Troyella fluff! lol, again, might be awhile till I write another chapter. Finals are week after next, and i have a LOT of work to do... thanks for reviewing, i love you all!


	12. And the Crowd Goes Wild

**Chapter 12: **And the Crowd Goes Wild

The formal had turned out to be incredibly successful, and quickly became the main subject of many conversations as students entered East High on Monday morning. Girls giggled incessantly as they recounted the night's events to one another other and compared dates and dresses, and although the guys weren't as enthusiastic about the topic, they admitted that it could've been a much more unbearable ordeal than they previously thought it would be.

Quite a bit had transpired that night, according to various students who seemed to know every bit of gossip that happened to leak out into the open. They chatted about breakups and hookups that had occurred, and then discussed other small tidbits they had picked up, but one event that night had stuck out among all the rest… The incident with Troy, Gabriella, and Sharpay.

Almost everyone that had attended the formal saw Sharpay's dirty trick that had been played on Gabriella, and there were few who approved of it. _Everyone_ knew Sharpay could be a serious threat if caught between her and something she desperately wanted or desired, but no one ever thought she could sink that low. It was well known by all that Gabriella had feelings for Troy. To the school, that fact could be seen very plainly from any angle chosen. And to hear that Sharpay had tried to rip him away from any chance they had together right in front of Gabriella's eyes was just despicable. No one deserved that. Even Allison was ashamed of what had happened and turned away whenever Sharpay's name came up in a conversation.

Yes, the Troy/Sharpay/Gabriella episode was juicy news, but what bothered everyone the most was that they knew absolutely nothing about what had happened after Troy ran out of the gym. It was a complete mystery as to where he went and what he did, and the school was dying to know details. All they could manage to discover was that almost two hours after seeing him bolt from Sharpay, Troy had emerged with Gabriella by his side, quickly leaving without another word to anyone else. Dissatisfied and impatient, the students of East High knew that all they could do was wait until the truth finally decided to reveal itself to their awaiting ears.

* * *

Gabriella walked through the hallways with her first-period books held close to her chest, making her way to class. Her eyes didn't seem to focus onto her surroundings and she barely looked where she was going, for she knew the familiar route like the back of her hand. She sighed for what must've been the thousandth time since the formal, not able to keep her mind off of Troy. She couldn't stop smiling, and she had no desire to fight her emotions. She'd been in a whole other world for the past few days, and found herself absorbed in nothing but that night. She just couldn't get it's perfect events out of her head.

Turning a corner into her classroom, she was unexpectedly met by Taylor. She jumped when she saw Gabriella enter the room as if she'd been waiting for her and immediately pulled her over to their seats, talking nonstop.

"_Finally!_" Taylor said. "I must've called you twenty times last weekend! Why didn't you answer my messages? I mean, I _assumed_ you'd want to talk to your best friend about what happened - I mean, that thing with Sharpay, what the _hell_ was that? She's gone to some _pretty_ low levels in the past, but this is just unacceptable. How could she do that to you? I'm telling you, Chad and I were so angry when word got around. But listen, we _really_ need to talk." She took a breath and then continued in a whispered rush. "Today, I found out that there's a rumor going around about you and Troy. People have already been coming up to me and asking for details, but since I don't know any details, you are going to talk and we are getting this whole thing straightened out right now. And furthermore - Gabriella?" She asked, noticing that Gabriella didn't look quite as distressed as she thought she'd be about the matter. She looked the complete opposite. For one thing, she was smiling pretty considerably and Taylor could hear her giggling softly under her breath.

"Gabriella?" Taylor said, feeling confused at this unexpected reaction. "Are you ok?"

Gabriella looked down, trying to stop laughing as she saw Taylor's puzzled appearance. Taylor was such a good friend… but so clueless sometimes. After all, _she_ had been the one who'd seen this coming long before Gabriella did.

"Taylor," Gabriella began, feeling her face grow warmer. "Troy and I… Troy and I are… together." She said blushingly.

A pause hung between them as Taylor stared. "What?" She whispered.

"Troy and I - "

"OH MY GOD!" Taylor yelled, catching the attention of most of the class, still waiting for the period to begin. "Oh my God!" She began waving her hands excitedly. "You and Troy, he and you, you… Oh my God!" Her grin broke across her entire face and she gave a small scream. "I _knew_ it! Gabriella, this is so - How? When? Details! Give me details!"

Gabriella laughed and felt herself grow even hotter at all the attention they were drawing from other students. "Ok! But only if you promise to calm down and stop yelling!"

Taylor nodded and devoted her attention to Gabriella, completely ignoring the other students' glances that were being directed towards the previous commotion. She listened intently as Gabriella told her everything that had happened in that night. How Sharpay had verbally abused her in the bathroom moments before trying to take Troy for herself, the insinuations Gabriella had procured as she devastatingly caught Troy and Sharpay's kiss, how she'd run to the roof to hide her obvious pain after realizing her true feelings towards Troy, and then the softly-spoken words they'd exchanged during those moments of serenity after Troy had found her.

Taylor's face grew sentimental as she listened to Gabriella speak. "Did he kiss you?" She asked.

Gabriella's eyes softened greatly at this question. "Yeah…" She smiled faintly as she searched for the appropriate word to sum up every emotion she had felt when his lips had connected with hers for the first time.

" And it was perfect…" Gabriella said. She paused, looking back at Taylor and grinning. "You were right. You were right about everything. How he felt, how I felt… I should've listened to you sooner."

Taylor smiled triumphantly. "Well, what really matters is that you're finally together. The world is now as it should be."

Gabriella nodded her head, completely agreeing. "I feel like, like everything in my life is complete now that Troy and I are together." A smile broke as she giggled. "I can't stop saying that. Troy and I are together…"

Taylor giggled with her, happy to see her friend in this new state rather than the confused, doubtful one she'd been in for those past few weeks. It was definitely a nice change.

Gabriella continued, suppressing her laughter and sighing. "He makes me feel so… so incredible. Like I really _matter_ in this world… I can't really explain it."

"I can." Taylor said, giving her a small smile. "You're in love with him."

Gabriella felt the smile grow once more, looking down while her cheeks reddened. "Yeah… I am." A pause drifted between them and Gabriella sighed again, wishing he was there with her right now. "Have you seen him yet today?"

"What, are you going through Troy withdrawal?" Taylor asked as she smirked.

Gabriella giggled as the bell to start class rang throughout the school. Taylor gave her one last smile before turning around in her seat to face the front. Gabriella did the same, although she had to force herself to pay attention to the words coming out of her teacher's mouth.

_You have no idea_…

* * *

After first period was over, Gabriella and Taylor walked out of the classroom together and turned to go in opposite directions. Taylor had chemistry next, while Gabriella had to endure another arduous history lesson about the French Revolution. She never looked forward to that particular class, but she still managed to keep her grade a solid A despite how so easily bored she became.

"I'll see you at fourth!" Taylor called out as she gave her a quick wave.

Gabriella returned the gesture and began her long walk to her locker on the other side of the school. Rounding the first corner, she unexpectedly felt a hand grab her from behind and pull her into a classroom, catching Gabriella completely off guard.

Once inside, Gabriella whirled around to see who her captor was, breathing quickly and with a frightened rush. With a sound of relief, she saw that it was none other than Troy himself.

"Troy!" Gabriella breathed, closing her eyes and putting her hand to her heart. "Don't you _ever_ do that to me again. You scared me!"

"I'm sorry." Troy said as he moved a step closer with a sly grin on his face. "I just wanted to surprise you."

"Oh, well, mission accomplished." Gabriella said with a sarcastic smile as she playfully hit his arm.

Troy gave her another one of his irresistible smiles and sent Gabriella in an array of shivers that seemed to take over her entire body. She let Troy take her hands in his, happy to feel his touch once again.

"Well, since I obviously frightened you much more than I intended on doing, how about we start over?" Troy said as he pulled her closer and put his hands on Gabriella's waist, looking straight into her beautiful brown eyes. "Hi…" He whispered.

Gabriella almost began to shake at the warm sensation flowing through her hips from the hands that held her so gently and with such care. She backed up a few steps, pulling him along with her so they weren't standing in front of the door window and put her hands on his shoulders, returning the gaze.

"Hi…" She said back, desperately hoping he could read her mind and hear her silent desires..

Apparently, he could. Troy inched forward and closed the small gap between them as Gabriella's eyes fluttered shut, electricity shooting through every vein in her body. He kissed her softly and gently, not rushing or pushing - just enjoying the moment. He could feel her soft lips kissing him back, and he knew that there couldn't possibly be anyone in the world who was happier than him. What could top this feeling?

Gabriella leaned into the kiss, gradually moving her hands down his arms before pulling back, feeling him shiver as her hands rested in his once more. They looked at each other for a moment, overcome with emotions that seemed to eat them up inside out, wishing they didn't have to be apart for a single second. When they were together, everything was right.

"Troy," Gabriella began softly as she held his hands loosely. "What are we going to do about Sharpay?" She asked, staring up at him.

Troy was quiet for a moment. "Honestly? I don't know. We each only have one class with her - "

"One class is all she needs." Gabriella said desperately. "Anything she can get, any chance she has, she'll use to tear us apart again. And she'll never stop. _You_ should know that better than anyone!" She turned away, feeling tears prick the corners of her eyes as she floated back down from her fairy-tale world with Troy and was thrust back into the cold hard reality of it all.

"Don't you understand?" Gabriella asked. "She'll make life a living hell for us. I don't want her to ruin what we have, Troy. Not after I've finally…" Gabriella felt a tear fall and forced her sobs to stay hidden. Unfortunately, Troy always knew when she was about to fall apart, and he gently turned her around to face him again. He put his hands on her arms and held them, speaking quietly to her.

"She won't." Troy said as he kissed her forehead. "She won't, I promise. Remember? I promised I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, and right now, I make another promise to you, Gabriella Montez."

Gabriella closed her eyes for a moment as she felt his lips on her forehead and then opened them to look him in the eye, tears still beginning to form underneath and clinging to her eyelashes.

"I _promise_," Troy whispered. "That I will not let Sharpay Evans destroy this. I will do whatever it takes to prevent her from doing anything that would even _suggest_ a repeat of what she did at the formal… Do you believe me?"

Gabriella sobbed and nodded vigorously. "Yes." She moved closer and wrapped her arms around him, sighing into his embrace. His arms circled around her small body as well, holding her tightly. He kissed the top of her head and then her lips once more as Gabriella succumbed to her never-resting shivers. God, he was so good at that…

After she had calmed down, Gabriella lifted her head and smiled. Just as she was about to lean in for another kiss, the bell rang loudly and they jumped apart at the noise.

They both sighed in frustration and Troy took her hand, leading her out the door and down the hallway to class. He moved through the crowd with astounding agility and Gabriella fought to keep up with his long strides. Glancing occasionally to other students passing by, she noticed that her and Troy were drawing a substantial amount of attention to themselves. She could hear whispers traveling up the halls, and many gasps echoing endlessly.

"You go Troy!" One guy called out as they flew on past.

"Yeah Gabri-ella!" A girl said as she saw their two hands joined together.

Gabriella blushed as she looked down, eager to get away from all these people. It would definitely take some time to get used to this. It'd be easier for Troy, since he'd had to live with that kind of attention for years - but Gabriella had been trying to avoid these certain looks all her life. It was still new to her.

As she looked at Troy, she saw a hint of a smile flash across his lips before he bowed his head as well, maneuvering his way in and out of the mob. Gabriella's eyes remained on the back of his head and she slowed down a little until she completely stopped in the middle of the hallway, a spontaneous idea popping into her head. She pulled Troy back, and he looked at her confusedly.

She merely smiled, cocking her head slightly to gesture to the other students around them. They'd been waiting to see them together for a long time… might as well give 'em a good show. She entwined her fingers with his, their eyes locked on each other as they continued to walk at a much slower pace, each too engrossed with the other to notice just how many favorable stares followed them behind.

* * *

This chapter was going to be longer, but i REALLY want to write 20 chapters for this story, and right now, i have about two more that i'm planning in my head before actually writing them. there might not be as many super-long chapters, because i'm trying to spread it out a little and make it more interesting instead of putting all the drama and tears and such in just one chapter. sorry for the lack of posting... went through some drama of my ownthis week, and i wasn't in the mood to write happy Troy/Gabriella fluff. but i'm ok now, for the most part, and i should have another chapter up by the end of next week. my finals end this thursday jumps around excitedly so ill have more time to write after then! reviews are greatly appreciated!


	13. Disappeared

The shortness of this chapter is probably going to make you all angry, but I didn't feel like making it a huge chapter and I thought the story needed a cliffhanger. So, just so everyone knows, **this chapter is short.** Don't give me reviews saying how mad you are that it's short, because I'm in a horrible mood and I don't want any other reasons to be angry.

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* * *

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**Chapter 13: Disappeared**

Gabriella and Troy had never been happier. The first full week of their relationship as a couple was filled with nothing less than absolute bliss. Troy took it upon himself to make it clear to everyone that he indeed had a girlfriend now, frequently announcing it to anyone who would stand still long enough to listen. This fact didn't seem to have much of an effect on the girls of East High however, which frustrated Troy to a point where he fought to be civil as he detached himself from unfamiliar hands that so eagerly skimmed his shoulders and back with a longing desire. It not only irritated Troy, but distressed Gabriella so greatly that she often found herself wondering if she had other competitors to worry about besides Sharpay. She never openly expressed her fears to Troy, but each time an attractive girl smiled or waved at him, her overprotective side kicked in and she would shoot hostile glares at anyone who held his gaze for too long. She was not taking any chances, and soon let everyone know that she meant business when it came to Troy.

Each had been certain that after her defeat at the formal, Sharpay would be up and about looking for ways to cause more damage to the new couple. They nervously awaited for her bobbing blond head to suddenly appear in the doorway, smug grin on her face and a look of pure evil anxious to put her next plan into immediate action. Both Troy and Gabriella were concerned, but it was Gabriella who couldn't keep her mind off of the horrible things she imagined Sharpay was capable of.

Gabriella had never been the popular one at all her old schools. Ever since she could remember, she had been teased and mocked by everyone and of everything she did or said. She'd always been quiet, reserved, and polite, which would be used by her fellow peers to take advantage of her for their own personal uses. Gabriella had never fought back when they'd taunted her. She hadn't said a word to defend herself, too upset and cowardly to speak up. She would only look towards the floor and fight back the ever-looming tears that wanted to fall, but couldn't. She knew from experience that her weakness was just be one more thing her enemies would ridicule.

All of that had changed after meeting Troy. She'd made new friends, found a confidence she didn't know she had, and her social life had boosted immensely. She'd originally planned to avoid Sharpay at all times after meeting her and seeing the close resemblance to her previous tormentors, but since that obviously hadn't worked out, Gabriella was at a loss concerning what to do now. She was certain of one thing, however… she would not let anyone take Troy away from her, no matter what.

The week slowly passed by, and Troy and Gabriella waited… but they didn't even catch a glimpse of her, nor did they hear her high-pitched voice reverberating down the hallways. In fact, no one had seen her at all throughout the entire week. Her absence was hardly noticed until someone pointed it out as an afterthought, and even then, there were few who concerned themselves with this bit of info. But Troy and Gabriella were suspicious as Friday afternoon came… and Sharpay was nowhere to be seen.


	14. He Didn't Choose You

**Chapter 14: He Didn't Choose You**

"_… Anything it takes to climb, the ladder of success… Work our tails off everyday… gotta bump the competition, blow them all away - _" Ryan Evans sang, sauntering down the hallways of his mansion-like home. He'd been in an unusually cheery mood lately, softly singing and smiling nonstop. Ever since Troy and Gabriella had won the lead roles in the musical, he'd had much more free time to himself without practices round the clock, which lessened the stress on his mind to a level he hadn't been able to achieve in ages. He enjoyed the long hours and doing what he loved in the limelight… but after all the productions he'd done and hardly any sort of break in between the winter and spring musical, he welcomed the well-deserved rest with open arms. His sister, however… didn't exactly agree.

Ryan's mind wandered to Sharpay, and the thought of her still up in her room after all this time troubled him. He was more connected with her than anyone, and being her twin, he always knew when there was something wrong. Sharpay had an annoying tendency to hide her emotions from the world, eager to prevent anyone from thinking she was a weakling, but Ryan always knew when she was lying. This time though, he didn't need his twin telepathy to figure out what she was so upset over. _Everyone_ knew.

He hadn't been nearly as surprised as others when he heard about her and Troy at the formal. In fact, her actions weren't unexpected at all to him. This was just like her. Ryan could read his sister's mind like an open book, and he knew she'd had a thing for Bolton for years. What girl hadn't? He was, after all, the basketball star of East High.

Ryan had hardly seen her since that night. She'd skipped the whole week of school, too upset and heartbroken to face everyone. She didn't tell their parents what had happened, and they worried about her sudden distance from the world while they called in all the doctors. Each one had given her a clean bill of health, stating that she was perfectly fine in all ways. Ryan knew otherwise - Sharpay was _anything _but fine.

A soft ringing echoed throughout the house as the doorbell rang, and Ryan quickly went to open the door. Pulling it back, he revealed the person standing behind it and smiled warmly at the visitor.

"Allison," Ryan said cordially, inviting her in. "What can I do for you?"

Allison returned the smile and hesitantly walked in with an armload of books and binders, careful not to drop them. "I just came by to drop these off for Sharpay… school stuff. She's missed a lot this week."

"Yeah," Ryan said, twisting his hands nervously at the delicate subject. "I know…" They were silent for an awkward moment, each feeling uncomfortable about the current situation. Allison had known Ryan just as long as Sharpay, and they'd kept a solid friendship for quite some time, but now everything felt different… like there was a wall wedged between them that separated their amiability from years past.

"Well uh, she's upstairs… in her room, if you want to take them to her." Ryan said, quickly thinking up an idea to get themselves out of their discomfort.

Allison forced back a sigh. "Ryan - "

"Please," He said, his shoulders dropping as he looked at her desperately. "She never comes out of there. No one outside of this house has tried to talk to her, and she won't talk to anyone in return. She hardly eats, she's stopped singing, and she's always crying at night. I'm worried about her, Allie… she needs a friend."

Allison closed her eyes for a second, irked by how difficult this was. "I'm not sure I can give her that anymore. What she did was- "

"Allison," Ryan said gently. "You're all she has."

As the words sunk in, she realized Ryan was right. Breathing out, she nodded her head understandingly and turned towards the stairs, adjusting the tower of books in her arms. She watched her feet take one stair at a time, a strange sense of dread rising in the pit of her stomach. And as she climbed, she couldn't help but wonder if she was taking one step closer to a friend, or one closer to a new enemy.

* * *

Down a long wide hallway decorated with fancy paintings and photographs, there was a door that led to a large, spacious room. In that room, there was a queen-sized bed with a soft pink bedspread that had spiraling patterns going in all directions. And in that bed was the once great Sharpay Evans, Ice Princess of East High.

There were no words to describe her diminished appearance. A week's worth of neglecting personal hygiene had done quite a number on her, and normally she never under any circumstances would've allowed herself to become so repugnant. Her hair hadn't been brushed properly in days, and it had become incredibly greasy. She had dark circles under her deep-brown eyes from lack of sleep and hadn't given a thought to hide them with makeup at all. The nail polish on her long fingernails was chipped, she hadn't washed her face at all and small zits were beginning to appear as well as dark blackheads, and she had lost a few pounds in that week alone from refusing to eat. The mere thought of food made her appetite disappear in an instant, and she mainly drank water all day. To put it simply, she was a complete disaster.

Her eyes were glued to the large-screen TV stationed at the foot of her bed, and she flipped through the channels absentmindedly, not really paying attention to what was playing. Her mind was elsewhere, and had been ever since she saw Troy and Gabriella on the roof of the school, making their obvious feelings known to the other while Sharpay watched with devastation.

She couldn't believe she had lost him. She'd been so sure… everything just seemed to be right when it came to her and Troy. She'd known him for so long… and dreamed about what it would be like if he felt the same way. But in one moment, he'd been snatched from her grasp… and she knew there weren't going to be any more chances. She'd blown it. Big time.

A soft knock was heard, but Sharpay made no attempt to answer. Instead, she remained silent and hoped that Ryan would leave her alone already. She thought she'd made it perfectly clear to everyone that she didn't want company. Her eyes flickered to the door for an instant before she stared at the TV once more, pretending she was interested in the program she'd last clicked to.

Allison closed the door behind her, pausing before turning to face the bed. Shock hit her like a bullet as she took in the sight of this new, unfamiliar Sharpay Evans. Only a week had passed, but she looked like a completely different person… one that hadn't yet discovered the wonderful benefits of a long, hot shower.

"Hi…" Allison said tentatively, shifting the books.

Sharpay didn't respond.

"I brought your homework…" Allison walked over to the bed and placed the heavy pile onto Sharpay's hot pink nightstand, folding her arms across her chest. "You have until next Wednesday to make everything up."

Sharpay's eyes gazed down at her hands, feeling tears form. She probably knew the whole story by now, or at least had a pretty good illustration drawn out for her from all the rumors that were traveling around. How could she not know?

Allison stood in her place for a few minutes, trying to think of something to say. But as she looked down at her former friend, nothing came to her mind. She felt like she didn't even know her anymore. Where had she gone wrong? Allison recalled a sweet little six year-old Sharpay playing in the East Elementary school playground, trying not to get sand on her new shoes as little Allison laughed at her attempts to run without getting them dirty. Things had been so carefree when they were kids, when they had no problems or worries. A time when all you had to think about was what fun things you were going to do the next day. How quickly things had changed since then…

Allison stared at Sharpay. She could remember the first time they'd met. Sharpay had been the only one who wanted to play with her at recess on that lonely pre-school day. They'd become instant friends, inseparable. Their parent's used to call them the 'Dynamic Duo' when they were in grade school. If they'd been any closer, they would've been permanently attached. They'd shared everything with each other, and promised that no matter what happened, they would always be best friends forever. Those days seemed like eons ago…

Sharpay used to be so gentle and good-natured to everyone. She never had anything against anybody… until high school suddenly came upon them. Now, Sharpay had become bitter and cold-hearted to anyone who got in her way. She was vicious to her enemies, and mocked everybody else except Allison. She was her friend, and according to Ryan, Allison really was all Sharpay had.

Looking down at her, Allison wondered if the old Sharpay was still in there somewhere, hidden underneath all the vile and cruel things she'd said and done.

"Ok, that's it." Allison said in a louder tone, making Sharpay jump with surprise. She snatched the TV remote away and hit the power button. The screen went black and an unnatural silence filled the air as Sharpay's eyes finally made contact with Allison's raging ones.

"_What_ is your problem?" Allison asked, tossing the remote onto the floor. "Why haven't you been at school all week? Hm? What've you been doing? Sitting here in your bed, eating ice cream and M&M's while pitying yourself because you can't admit that you are never going to be with Troy Bolton? I mean, come _on_, Sharpay! He is _just_ a guy! Just _one_ guy! But that's just it, isn't it? He's the one guy you _can't_ have, and you know it, don't you? Just face it already and stop trying to convince yourself there's still a chance! Troy and Gabriella - "

"Don't say that name!" Sharpay yelled, her voice cracking from hardly speaking for so long. "Don't talk about _her_ in front of me! I hate her! She ruined _everything_! She took away everything that ever mattered to me, and I'll never get it back again!"

"How was any of this Gabriella's fault?" Allison asked, ignoring Sharpay's request.

"She came here, she stole my glory… she stole Troy!" Sharpay screeched. Her voice sounded so strange and foreign, and was lost of all it's normal vivacity and sparkle.

Allison threw her hands up in exasperation. "He was _never yours_! When are you going to accept that? None of this is their fault, Sharpay, and maybe if you opened your eyes and stopped playing your selfish games, you'd see that!" She sighed angrily, searching for the words that would make Sharpay listen as she saw her eyes grow wide with astonishment. She'd never heard Allison yell like that.

"You can't expect to get everything you want. Troy Bolton isn't some jacket you can pick up at the mall. He's a living, breathing person with the ability to make choices. He didn't choose you, Sharpay. He chose Gabriella… and you're just going to have to deal with that." Allison said, lowering her voice a little.

"Gabriella loves him. When the two of them are together, you can just… you can see it in her eyes. She's loved him ever since she came to East High, whether she knew it or not. You may love Troy too, but that doesn't mean you have the right to construct a war over his feelings between the two of you! I mean… how could you do that to her? Do you even know what you were thinking, hurting her like that? What if it had been me? Would you have done something like that to _me,_ even though I was your friend?"

Sharpay's breath caught in her throat. "W-was?"

Allison hesitated for a moment, choosing her next words carefully. "I don't know if… if I can still call you a friend anymore. It may not have been me with Troy Bolton, but there's always going to be a part of me that'll wonder what you would've done if it had been… and I'm not sure if I'm willing to take a chance to find out."

"Allie - "

"We've been through so much," Allison said. "And I know we promised each other we'd always be friends… but this isn't kindergarten anymore, Sharpay. Things have changed… you've changed."

Silence wove its way between them as the full extent of Allison's words struck Sharpay to the core.

"I have to go." Allison said shortly. She swiftly walked towards the large white door and waited for a second, feeling Sharpay's eyes watching her every move. Shaking her head, she opened the door and shut it behind her, forcing back a small tear that threatened to fall. She let herself out without saying goodbye to Ryan, not really wanting to talk to anyone else. The entire way home, she felt a weight fall into her stomach and she tried not to cry as she remembered all the times her and Sharpay had spent together. They'd been friends for so long, it was hard to keep track of just how many memories there were to reminisce about. But as she drove, she couldn't stop her blurring eyes, and let herself give in to the tears, wondering if she'd done the right thing in letting go ofthe best friend she ever had.

* * *

Sharpay sat completely still, shocked by the harshness of Allison's words. _Stop trying to convince yourself there's still a chance…_There's always a chance… she thought there'd always be a chance…

But she'd been wrong.

_Things have changed… You've changed. _A fresh flow of tears rushed down Sharpay's pale cheeks and she turned over onto her side, sobbing quietly as she hugged her pillow with a new ache in her heart. Just when she thought she couldn't lose anything else, her only true friend had left too. It was all too much.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder gently rubbing it with compassion and a low voice whispering softly to her. She didn't need to see his face to know who it was. Sharpay sat up in one fluid motion and threw her arms around her brother miserably as the tears kept coming like a never-ending river. Her sobs intensified and Ryan returned the embrace, shushing her soothingly.

"I-I just w-wanted him to love me…" Sharpay cried, burying her head in his shoulder.

"I know, I know…"

"Everyone hates me, Allie hates me…" She sniffled, trembling as she took a breath. "No one's going to talk to me, they all know what I did by now… Ryan, how am I ever going to make this right?"

Ryan removed his arms and held her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. Her big brown eyes were still filled with tears that hadn't yet shed, and he wished they would shine for a different reason. He could almost feel how hopeless she sounded.

"I think you know the answer to that question." He said.

Sharpay thought for a moment, and then nodded her head, understanding what he meant. He pulled her in for another hug, and Sharpay gratefully accepted. She felt incredibly lucky to have her brother at that moment, and experienced a whole new appreciation for him being there to pull her through her pain. She squeezed him tighter, closing her eyes and sighing to herself. She'd do whatever it would take to rectify all the wrongs in her life… and this time, she would do it right.

* * *

Haha, you all thought Sharpay had something else up her sleeve... but she dosen't. School ended for me a few days ago, so I'll have a lot more time to write, and the next chapter should be up by thursday or friday, depending on when I can get it done. In the next few chapters, you'll really get to see a drastic change in Sharpay's character. This chapter wasn't meant to beall about Troy and Gabriella. I really wanted to focus on some Sharpay drama. Ryan sort of jumped in, and I was struggling to find a place to put him for awhile until this chapter. I honestly didn't expect Allison to play this big a role in the story, and she'll have more to do later on, so don't expect her to disappear just because her and Sharpay are no longer friends. Keep up with the reviews! i look forward to them every day!


	15. Apologies

**Chapter 15: Apologies**

"Troy," Gabriella began as her and Troy walked down the school hallway to class. His arm was wrapped loosely around Gabriella's side, keeping her close to him, and he warily eyed anyone who he thought stared a second too long at her. He'd developed a new protective side for her ever since the infamous run-in with Vince, but now he felt an even greater obligation to keep her safe and out of harm's way now that they were an official couple. And although he may have appeared to give off an air of complete overprotectiveness, Gabriella wouldn't have it any other way. It felt good to have someone care about her this much, and she embraced it one hundred percent.

"Yeah?" Troy said, turning his head to glance at her as they moved around a particularly large group of people.

"Listen, if you love me at all," Gabriella said. "Then you will please, _please _tell me that you don't have basketball practice tonight." She raised her wonderfully exquisite eyes and gave him a pleading sort of look, hoping for an answer that would satisfy her.

Troy sighed sadly. "I'm sorry Gabriella, but -"

"Tro-oy!" Gabriella said exasperatedly as she stopped to face him. "This isn't fair! Your dad made you practice _all_ day Saturday, and then he took you to that training gym on Sunday and wouldn't let me talk to you when you got home, and _now_ you have to practice today too?" She made a disbelieving noise and her shoulders fell forlornly. "I feel like your dad is less than thrilled with us being together…"

"No! No, that's not it!" Troy said as he put his hands on her shoulders and gave them a little squeeze, looking into her eyes. "He likes you, he really does, but the state championships are in a month. He just wants to prepare all of us and make sure we're ready in time."

Gabriella laughed with cynicism. "And he can't sacrifice his star player for just one night?" She asked, looking down and sighing. "It's just, you have basketball practice almost every day, and then on the days your dad decides to give you a break, Mrs. Darbus steals whatever plans we've made to hang out together and pulls us into practice for the musical. And then by the weekend, we're both too tired to do anything except talk on the phone. We haven't even gone on a real date yet. I want to be with you someplace other than school Troy… alone." She said softly, taking his hand in hers.

Troy smiled. "Me too… and I'm sorry. I promise, we will go out on our first real date _very_ soon. I don't have practice tomorrow, how about then?"

Gabriella shook her head. "We have practice for the musical. Don't you remember? Mrs. Darbus wants us there till midnight."

"Midnight?" Troy said shockingly as his eyes grew wide. "Are you kidding me?"

"Unfortunately, no." Gabriella said sadly.

Troy ran his fingers through his hair, unhappy that he had to endure Mrs. Darbus for nine hours more than usual. "Well, I guess I'll have to grin and bear it."

"Of course you will," Gabriella said as she pecked him on the cheek. "Because _I'll_ be there to entertain you."

Troy laughed. "Oh really? And how may I ask are you going to do that?"

Gabriella gave him a sly grin and started to walk backwards, keeping her eyes locked with his. "You'll have to wait and see…" She said mysteriously. Turning around, she continued to walk to class, leaving a baffled Troy behind.

He chuckled as he ran to catch up. Just when he thought he had her all figured out, she came up with something entirely different to throw him off and he had to start all over again to unravel the secrets and mysteries of Gabriella Montez. She kept him on his toes, always making him think. He liked it that way. He liked thinking about her constantly.

As Troy caught up with her, he reached out and squeezed her sides jokingly. She giggled and turned around, her smile stretching across her beautiful face. Leaning forward, she made a move that suggested a kiss, and Troy eagerly went to meet her. At the very last second though, Gabriella stopped and narrowed her eyes with a devious grin. Her hand pushed back a strand of long, thick hair behind her ear and she brought it back up to touch his cheek. Without another word, she stepped back and disappeared into her classroom just as the bell rang, blowing him a kiss as the door promptly shut in his face.

Troy looked up to the ceiling and sighed with disappointment as he shook his head and raised his hands up, laughing inwardly to himself. He quickly made his way to class, all thoughts remaining on Gabriella. She could be so unpredictable, so completely impulsive, and yet she still had a visible shy side that made Troy go absolutely crazy. And strangely, he couldn't get enough of it.

* * *

Gabriella quickly left her last-period classroom as the bell rang, ending the day. She headed in the direction of the gymnasium, hoping to catch Troy before his practice began. Thinking back to their conversation earlier that day, she sighed. She knew it wasn't his fault that he had to be at practice all the time. It wasn't his fault. They both wanted to spend time with the other more than anything, but with their hectic schedules, that seemed almost impossible lately. As much as Gabriella loved watching Troy play basketball, and seeing how happy he was when he was out there on the court, she secretly couldn't wait until the season was over so she could finally have him all to herself.

Rounding a corner, she rapidly jumped out of the way as another student almost knocked her down, running past like the plague was after him. Shaking her head with wide eyes, she continued on her way. Almost immediately after, a voice called out from ahead.

"Watch out everyone, Ice Princess is back on the prowl!"

Gabriella felt her heart skip a beat, and dread filled her as she anxiously glanced around.

_Oh no…_ Gabriella thought to herself. Dead ahead, an unmistakable blonde head bobbed in and out of the crowd, almost as if she were looking for someone. A moment later, their eyes connected, and each froze in their places. Then, taking a deep breath, Sharpay Evans began to make her way towards Gabriella.

Instantly, Gabriella turned and bolted, evasively weaving in and out of the crowd as she tried to get away before Sharpay got to her. The last week had been so wonderful, with no Sharpay around to get in the way of her and Troy… it'd ended all too quickly. Sharpay was back, and Gabriella could only imagine what horrible things she'd planned during her absence.

"Gabriella!" Sharpay called out behind her.

Gabriella quickened her pace, dodging students as she passed as her heart beat faster with panic.

"Wait!" Sharpay yelled. With a burst of energy she very rarely used, she started to run up the hallway after her with surprising speed. After a few moments, Sharpay caught up and reached out to grab Gabriella's shoulder.

"I need to talk to you - " Sharpay breathed, panting as she spoke. She'd been searching for Gabriella all day, trying to summon up the courage to actually approach her and attempt to speak. Sharpay knew there was a very slim chance Gabriella would listen to what she wanted to say, but she had to try never-the-less.

At this proclamation, Gabriella whirled around in an angry rage, fuming as her hands transformed into tight, livid fists.

"What?" She asked loudly. "You want to _talk_? I don't believe it!" She looked up, shaking her head and smiled with utter incredulity. "You have some nerve, you know that? You think that after everything you've put Troy and I through, all the lies and the selfish mind games you played - all the _pain_ you caused me, you think you can just walk right up and tell me you want to _talk_?"

Sharpay kept eye contact with her, although the tone of Gabriella's voice made her step back with slight apprehension. "Gabriella - "

"No! I don't want to hear it!" Gabriella said as her acrimonious emotions intensified. "Get out! Leave me and Troy alone! Please, that's all I'm asking! Just stop trying to tear him away from me! We're happy, don't you get that? He's not going to be with you, so just stop trying to make it happen!" All the anguish that Gabriella had concealed, and the heartrending memory of herself stumbling up on the roof, crying incessantly over what she'd seen Sharpay do with Troy still fresh in her mind seemed to pour out of her very soul and out into the open for all to hear.

A thought came to Gabriella and realization crept into the dark corners of her mind - the corners she'd never dared to venture to in the past. She always thought they weren't a part of her; it wasn't in her nature to taunt and abuse people without any concern whatsoever. But as she seethed and felt her skin burn with red-hot anger looking at the one who'd caused her so much trouble and heartache, those dark corners began to look more and more inviting. Gabriella wanted Sharpay to feel the same pain she'd felt that night, the same hurt and loss and complete hopelessness she'd been put through.

Taking a breath, Gabriella began to rack her brain for the words that would sting the most, that would cut her the deepest, and would deprive her of any feeling of joy that still resided in that useless waste of a body. But just as she opened her mouth, Sharpay spoke.

"You're right."

Gabriella's mouth closed with absolute surprise, and she blinked, shaking her head. "What?"

"I said you're right." Sharpay repeated in an abnormally small voice. "You're right about… everything."

Gabriella wasn't sure what to think or what to say, and remained quiet as Sharpay continued.

"I've known Troy Bolton for years," Sharpay said. "I've seen him change countless times. Some for the better, some for the worse, but _never_ in all this time have I seen such a drastic change in him as I have in the months that you've been here at East High."

Gabriella blinked again, not sure if this was meant to be taken as a compliment or not.

Sharpay took a deep breath, looked up, and continued on with her speech. "You are… absolutely right when you say that Troy and I will never be together. I didn't want to accept that before, because… I guess, I always knew that it was true. He's never shown any interest in me, not even enough to suggest that we could be friends. But I didn't want to give up, because I still had this… tiny, pitiful amount of hope. Now… I've finally learned when to back down."

"I know you hate me," Sharpay said as she felt a tear prick at the corner of her eye. She gave a small laugh. "Practically the whole school hates me. I don't blame them either. The things I've done in the past…" She shuddered. "I don't deserve their forgiveness… and I won't ask you to forgive me either. But before you say anything, I need to let you know… I'm sorry about everything. All that stuff I said to you at the formal wasn't true. You are so beautiful, and talented, and smart… you deserve to be Minnie. And you deserve to be with Troy."

Gabriella was completely dumbfounded. She had _not_ been expecting this. Screaming, yelling… fist-fighting, she had expected - but not this… not Sharpay Evans _apologizing._

Gabriella stared at Sharpay, still genuinely confused and unsure if this was another one of her famous tricks. And then, almost as if a giant neon sign had jumped in front of her out of thin air… she looked again, and _really_ saw her. Her eyes were blood-shot and red, and she kept glancing away, not looking Gabriella in the eye. Her once bright, vibrant face now took on an unhealthy pallor, and looked completely alien from what Gabriella was used to seeing. Her hands were clenched together and twisted around nervously. This was obviously something Sharpay didn't do often. Peering closer, Gabriella felt her heart fall with a crash and she saw an emotion she never thought she'd see on Sharpay Evans… fear.

Everything Gabriella had wanted to say, everything she could've used to hurt and completely destroy Sharpay until she was nothing more than a broken and battered soul evaporated into thin air. Despite all the pain Sharpay had caused and all the tears that were shed over her poisoned words, Gabriella couldn't bring herself to sink to that level and get revenge. She just couldn't.

Gabriella's heart tore in two as she saw a single tear run down Sharpay's face, and she knew at that moment that Sharpay really was sorry. Sharpay angrily wiped the tear away and looked the opposite way, avoiding Gabriella's stare.

"I just want you to know that… I'm not going to interfere with you and Troy any more. I swear, I'll leave you alone." Sharpay said softly. Without another word, she turned the corner and walked away, leaving Gabriella to contemplate all she had said.

Gabriella remained rooted to her spot, shocked and baffled at the same time. Sharpay had apologized. Really _apologized_. She'd said that Gabriella deserved Troy, and that she would back off, just like she wanted. It was almost too unbelievable. Gabriella thought back to Sharpay's empty expression, and how she looked completely different than she'd ever seen her before. Her high-pitched, condescending voice was long gone, and now took on a much softer tone, one that Gabriella could tolerate without cringing. Her once chocolate-brown eyes had transformed from narrow, angry ones that pierced everyone with menacing glares to soft, mellow orbs that looked like all the fury had been sucked out of them once and for all. Had that _really_ been Sharpay?

Gabriella turned and started to run down the hallway after her, not altogether sure why, but knew enough to realize that Sharpay had made a sincere effort to atone for her past offenses. That action alone deserved a second chance.

Footsteps echoed farther down, and Gabriella ran faster. "Sharpay?" She called out. _This is so weird,_ Gabriella thought to herself. _I'm actually looking for Sharpay._

The basketball team appeared from the next corner, making their way through the gym doors to start their practice. Gabriella slowed down and had to smile as she saw Troy talking with Chad towards the back of the group. Their eyes caught each other's and Troy's face broke into a grin. Jogging over, he glanced behind to make sure his dad didn't see him.

"Hey! I didn't think you'd still be here." Troy said as he kissed her cheek gently and took her hands.

Gabriella smiled. "Well, I was hoping I'd run into you before practice started…"

Troy squeezed her hands and looked over his shoulder again. "I'm glad you did." When he turned around, he noticed something different about Gabriella, but couldn't place his finger on it. She looked pensive and melancholy, as if she were holding something back, but desperately wanted to let it out.

"Are you ok?" He asked, concerned.

Gabriella escaped her thoughts and nodded her head untruthfully. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just…" She paused. "Everything is so mixed up all of a sudden. It's frustrating."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Troy asked.

Gabriella looked behind him as a whistle blew from the gym. "I don't think you're in the position to talk right now." She said with a small smile.

Troy returned it and sighed dejectedly. "Believe me, I'd much rather stay here with you than go in there for the next 3 hours."

"Yeah… so would I…" Gabriella said softly, looking down at their hands. He had no idea just how much she meant it. Leaning forward, she looked up and closed her eyes, meeting his lips with hers. Her heart fluttered with content as they lingered in that blissful position. For a moment, Gabriella was at ease, and knew that everything would be ok just as long as she had Troy, always there to comfort and protect her. He made everything perfect.

Troy pulled back from Gabriella ruefully, wishing he didn't have to. "I should go…" He said, gesturing towards the gym doors where basketballs could be heard bouncing off the floors and sneakers squeaking as the team ran up and down the court. "Are you sure you're ok?"

Gabriella nodded, letting their hands fall away from each other. She gave him one last smile, and then turned to leave as Troy watched.

"Hey Gabby…" Troy said quickly before she was out of sight.

Gabriella spun around, hearing him call her by her special nickname that only he was permitted to use. "Yeah?"

Troy looked down for a fleeting second and then looked back at her shyly. "I love you."

Gabriella blushed, feeling her legs shake slightly. He still had that effect on her, every single time he was near. Barely able to walk with her usual poise, she ambled back to him, walking slowly. She placed one hand behind his head and pulled him closer, giving him one last light kiss. She protracted their perfect moment for as long as she possibly could before letting him go. Pulling back, she sighed softly.

"Have a good practice." She said.

Troy smiled, but knew that Gabriella was less than happy about his full basketball schedule. He silently promised himself that he would make it up to her after the season was over for the year. He gave her hand one last squeeze, and then pushed open the door to the gym, hoping his dad wouldn't give him too much trouble for being late.

Gabriella smiled sadly as the door shut with a reverberating thump. Her thoughts were interrupted abruptly as she remembered her encounter with Sharpay. She rounded the corner, wondering to herself if what she was about to do was senseless or unnecessary. After all, Sharpay had apologized. What more could she do? Her conscience kicked in as she thought that last statement, and Gabriella knew there was still something that needed to be done.

She needed to accept Sharpay's apology.

* * *

Took me a little longer to write this chapter... sorry! Had some writers block, and then I was trying to think up some stuff for the next twoor three chapters (having little success, might I add) so once again... it'll be about another week or so before I write anything else. I honestly have no idea how long this story's going to be before it finally comes to a close, but I promise, it'll be good : P i broke 200 reviews! that made me extreamly happy.

oh, I started a forum called "High School Musical 2." It's basically a place where you can write anything you want about what you think will happen in the next movie. Sadly, no one has postedyet... hint hint just a thought!


	16. No Longer Enemies

**Chapter 16: No Longer Enemies**

Gabriella strode up the long sidewalk that ran alongside the front of the Evans' vast home, her heart beating in time with her steps. Staring down as she walked, the almost bleached-white color of the concrete made her eyes sting painfully, causing them to water. As she glanced up to relieve the hurting, she noticed that the sky was beginning to turn a dark, shady gray color, hinting at a forthcoming storm. She hoped it wasn't a sign of bad luck, even though she'd never really believed in that sort of thing.

Without giving herself time to back down from her aimed objective, Gabriella raised a finger and pushed the doorbell. The sound reverberated throughout the house, and Gabriella took a deep breath, clasping her hands together in a futile attempt to appear calmer than she really felt. Again, the little voice inside her head told her to run far, far away from the threat that inhabited behind the solid oak door, but Gabriella pushed the thought from her mind. She knew that if given the chance to run, there was no doubt she would do just that. But she couldn't leave - not until everything was settled and this whole thing was abated once and for all.

The door opened, and revealed Sharpay. She was dressed in light gray sweat pants and a pink tank top that seemed to have been made specially for her, complimenting her thinly framed body. Her eyes grew wide as she laid them on her unexpected guest, and Gabriella gave her a tiny smile, feeling a little awkward. Sharpay didn't return the gesture, still confused as to why Gabriella Montez was on her doorstep.

Then, Sharpay sighed softly and looked down, nodding her head as if finally understanding the answer to her own inwardly-spoken question. Opening the door wider, she stood to the side and let Gabriella pass, who swallowed hesitantly before entering. The door clicked behind her, and she felt the same trapped, consternated feeling she'd experienced the last time her and Sharpay had been alone together.

Gabriella followed Sharpay into a large living room, forcing down a gasp at the remarkable sight. The room was at least twice as big as her own, painted a dark forest green that made Gabriella feel as if she'd stepped into an indoor woods. Expensive items adorned the countertops and side tables, some of which Gabriella couldn't identify or recall their purposes. The most spectacular sight of all though was a humongous fish tank that nearly covered the entire back wall. It was filled with tropical fish of all shapes and sizes, swimming lazily back and forth while one bulging eye stared at the outside world beyond the glassy borders that kept it in its confined state. There were also a few small starfish that lay on the bottom of the tank, and a longer, more colorful fish that Gabriella didn't recognize.

Sharpay, however, seemed completely unaffected by the wondrous sight that was her living room and blankly sat down on the tan, leather couch positioned against the wall that followed the fish tank. A large high-definition TV covered the remaining wall. On its screen, Gabriella saw that Sharpay had been watching "The Phantom of the Opera." It was on pause, catching a character in mid-note.

Picking up the DVD remote from the floor, Sharpay shut the whole thing off, not really caring about missing the rest of the movie. There were more important matters to deal with. Tossing it back onto the ground, Sharpay looked at Gabriella, waiting for the eruption. When none came after several awkward minutes, Sharpay decided it would be she who made the first move. She really just wanted to get this whole thing over with.

"Well?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella looked up, confused. "Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to yell at me?" Sharpay questioned, a look of slightly fearful apprehension on her face at the thought.

Gabriella recoiled and raised her eyebrows slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the beating I know you're dying to give me." Sharpay said. "I'm talking about the torture you must want to put me through - everything you've wanted to say to me ever since the…" She stopped there, knowing she didn't have to voice it. Taking a deep breath, she stared Gabriella in the eye and pushed all thoughts of fear out of her mind.

"So, go ahead…" Sharpay said. Looking back down at her clenched hands, she mentally braced herself for the outbreak she knew was only moments away.

The command caught her off guard, and Gabriella felt her taut limbs go limp as she looked at Sharpay. This, however, was not the Sharpay she knew. Sharpay Evans _never_ would've apologized to someone's face, and actually mean it with their whole heart. Sharpay Evans wouldn't have allowed herself to let these emotions show in plain view for all to witness. Fear, worry, shame - those were not what made up the Ice Princess of East High.

At least, that was what Gabriella had thought. All this time, she'd thought she'd had a clear picture of who Sharpay Evans was. Cold, cruel, and heartless. Petty and dishonest, livid and malicious. That was what Sharpay stood for. She betrayed and schemed, making countless people miserable with hardly any effort behind her actions. It was her gift. A lethal, horrible gift.

But now, here she was, sitting next to Gabriella and portraying a whole new side she hadn't revealed to anyone in years. Not even to Allison. Here she was, telling Gabriella, actually _telling_ her, to tear her apart with words that could scar her for a lifetime and more. As Gabriella watched Sharpay shift in her seat nervously, she saw a hint of a shiver run through her pale body, and Gabriella felt something for her she never thought she'd be able to feel after everything that had transpired between them… pity. This girl had endured just as much pain as Gabriella had over the years, and it was time for someone to reach out to her and look past all the deceitful things she'd done and all the pain she'd knowingly caused. Gabriella knew she had to be that person, for no one else had made any effort whatsoever to take the chance and find the real Sharpay Evans buried underneath the fake mask she'd been concealing herself behind.

"Sharpay," Gabriella said softly, making her jump at the sudden noise in the quiet room. "I didn't come here to yell at you."

Sharpay looked up slowly as a small amount of relief flowed through her veins. "You didn't?"

Gabriella shook her head.

"But - I don't get it." Sharpay stuttered, completely flummoxed. "Why? I was so horrible to you! You have every right to get revenge. I know for a fact that there are many people who would kill to have this kind of opportunity. Why aren't you taking it?"

Gabriella couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. This was just too arcane for her. "Sharpay, do you _want_ me to make you miserable?" She queried.

Gabriella was caught off guard for the second time that afternoon as a tear fell from Sharpay's face, making a long wet stain down her cheek. She wiped it away hastily and cast her eyes towards a corner of the room. Her demeanor had rapidly changed in a matter of seconds, which startled Gabriella. "No…" She said, trying to keep her voice to a normal level. "But I deserve it."

Something took over Gabriella at that moment, not giving her a chance to think or back out of it. It was like an unknown force, but it didn't push or pull - it guided her. It was a force that caused Gabriella to abjure all her previous assumptions relating to Sharpay's character. And it was this force that made Gabriella do something so completely out of the blue, it even shocked her almost as much as it did Sharpay.

She shifted closer, leaned in, and wrapped her arms around Sharpay in a tight embrace, feeling her pain as if it were her own.

Sharpay froze for a moment with unsuspected surprise at the erratic contact, and Gabriella began to speak in a wavering voice.

"No, Sharpay - " Gabriella said. "You don't deserve that. _No one_ deserves that kind of treatment. No one deserves to have to endure that kind of pain. You may think you do, but you don't. Everything you've done, all the hurt you've caused in the past, it doesn't matter anymore, because the past is over." She took a breath as she felt her own tears fall. "I forgive you, Sharpay."

Feeling herself begin to sob, Sharpay slowly brought her arms up, and placed them around Gabriella. It was the first real hug she'd given, and received, in ages. A warm glow filled her entire soul as Sharpay embraced Gabriella, and an emotion overtook her, like a faded memory or a distant dream. It took a moment for Sharpay to realize that her emotion was pure, unadulterated happiness.

After a few minutes, Gabriella pulled back and wiped away her tears. Sharpay did the same and they both giggled at the simultaneous action, each still a little nervous about the event that had taken place.

"How did you get here anyway?" Sharpay asked with a grin as her eyes shone with the remnants of tears.

Gabriella shifted and reached into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out a yellow piece of paper and began to unfold it. Sharpay realized it was a page from the phonebook. As Sharpay peered closer, she found that her address had been circled with a thick black marker. She looked up at Gabriella, who folded the paper back up and smiled.

"You looked me up?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella nodded, and then turned suddenly serious. "There's still a few things I need to clear up with you. Things I can't do at school with everyone watching."

Sharpay shrunk a little in her seat, but then inclined her head and signaled Gabriella to continue, having a slight idea as to what she was about to say next..

Gabriella looked Sharpay in the eye, praying she could make this as clear as possible. "Sharpay, I'm willing to forgive and forget, and never speak of what happened between us ever again, but I need to be sure of something. And you have to promise me that you will not lie, and that you will not go back on your word once you answer my question."

"I promise." Sharpay said immediately with an alacrity to accommodate to anything Gabriella said.

Gabriella paused, and then spoke her one true concern. "Did you really mean it when you told me you'd leave Troy and I alone, concerning our relationship?"

This time, Sharpay took a pause, and Gabriella felt a knot form in her stomach with anticipation and fear of what she was going to say. She knew that this was very difficult for Sharpay, letting go of her feelings for Troy. But apology or no apology, Gabriella would not let her go through with another devious plan to tear them apart, nor would she allow any sort of contact with Sharpay unless she was one hundred percent sure she could trust her and her word. Troy was worth too much to risk losing again, and she didn't want to be hoodwinked by Sharpay's known chicanery.

After a moment, Sharpay nodded her head in response. "Yes." She assented without faltering. "I promise."

"Are you sure?" Gabriella asked with a new force in her voice. "I know how much you liked him, and the Sharpay I've come to know wouldn't give up that easily."

Sharpay's eyes fell forlornly, and Gabriella instantly regretted her choice of words, knowing she should've chosen them better. She began to start an apology, but Sharpay stopped her with a disconsolate expression.

"No, you're right." She said, fingering the edge of her tank top. "The Sharpay you know wouldn't give up without a fight. She wouldn't walk away from something that was important to her, or from something she wanted. She wouldn't stop until she had the thing she desired most of all. " She hesitated before continuing. "The Sharpay you know also wouldn't show kindness to the people she knew talked about her behind her back. The Sharpay you know wouldn't be forgiving. The Sharpay you know wouldn't show emotions she knew would make her look weak. The Sharpay you know…" She took a deep breath and then raised her eyes to look at Gabriella, who listened to her intently.

"I don't like this person I've become, Gabriella." Sharpay said with a quivering voice. "Lies, deceit, torturing people I don't even know…" She thought of Allison and a lump formed in her throat. "The only friend I managed to keep through everything I've done doesn't want anything to do with me anymore… and I finally understand why. I'm through. I 'm through with being the 'Ice Princess of East High.' I've changed, Gabriella, and I promise I will never try to take Troy from you again. Please, you have to believe me." She said it with such a desperate tone that Gabriella felt a pang of sympathy for her as she mentioned Allison, knowing what it was like to have no one there for you.

As Gabriella searched Sharpay's face for any hint of a lie or any reason she shouldn't trust her, she found none and knew Sharpay was being sincere. "I believe you." Gabriella said with a smile. Standing up, she looked at the clock on the wall and was alarmed at what time it read.

"I need to go," Gabriella ejaculated, heading for the door. Sharpay quickly jumped up from the couch and followed behind her.

"Do you need a ride?" Sharpay asked with a slight plead in her voice, unhappy that she was about to be left alone again.

"No, I'll be ok, my house is only a few blocks from here." Gabriella said as they reached the front door, Sharpay most reluctantly.

"Um, Gabriella, I sort of have a favor to ask. I know I'm in no position to be asking favors from you, but it's kind of important." Sharpay asked, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

"What is it?" Gabriella said casually.

"Well, I wanted to apologize to Troy too. You know, about what happened. But I'm so worried he won't stick around long enough for me to actually say anything. So, I was... kinda hoping you'd tell him just how sorry I am?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella pondered the thought for a second, and then nodded her head. "Yeah, I will."

Sharpay breathed a sigh of relief and clasped her hands together. "Good… good."

"I'll see you at school, ok?" Gabriella said, beginning to walk down the porch steps.

"Yeah, ok." Sharpay said, sad to see her go. "Hey, Gabriella?" She called out.

Gabriella turned.

Sharpay gripped the edge of the door, looking down for an instant. "Does this, uh… does this mean we're friends now?" She asked hopefully.

Gabriella thought for a moment, unsure how to answer her question. Sharpay needed a friend, that was certain. She could imagine how lonely she must've been without anyone to talk to or hang out with, and Gabriella understood why Sharpay would come to the conclusion that they were friends after that day's events. But this was all still new to Gabriella, and it would take some time before she could get used to her and Sharpay being on good terms with one another.

"I don't know…" Gabriella said with circumspect, trying not to make her words sound too harsh.

Sharpay's high hopes for someone to talk to dwindled violently, and she couldn't help but show her disappointment at Gabriella's words. She was cert to say something like that. And Sharpay didn't blame her one bit for declining the offer.

"But we're not enemies." Gabriella said softly. Sharpay looked up and some hope returned, filling her with a warmth similar to what she'd felt earlier. Giving her one last smile, Gabriella walked down the sidewalk, feeling a sense of accomplishment rise from within her.

Sharpay watched until Gabriella was out of sight, and then closed the door as she stepped back inside the house. A smile spread across her face, and the seemingly never-ending despair and misery she'd felt disappeared and replaced those feelings with optimistic confidence. For the first time, she felt like her life was beginning to piece itself back together into a whole again, and it filled her with joy unlike anything she'd felt on the stage. And with a soft voice, she did something she'd been longing to do for ages.

"_Bop bop bop, bop to the top, slip and slide and ride that rhythm, jump and hop, hop 'til we drop and start again - "_ Sharpay sang, the old familiar urge flowing back through her veins. This was her passion. This was what she was meant to do, and ignoring it for as long as she had had killed her inside.

"_Zip zap zop, pop like a mop, scoot around the corner, move it to the groove 'til the music stops - " _With each note, Sharpay's voice grew louder and she basked in the glow her body was emitting. She was so happy, so pleased that things were finally looking up for her, that she didn't notice Ryan standing in the doorway of the living room. He'd come downstairs, hoping to find something to eat, but instead found something that satisfied him in a way food could not. His sister was singing again.

He watched for a moment, slightly amused that Sharpay was so oblivious to his presence, and then quietly retreated the opposite way back upstairs to his room. He had no desire to disturb her, not after how miserable she'd been. Ryan was just happy that Sharpay was happy. Something had changed inside her over the past few days, transforming her into an entirely different person - and Ryan knew she was going to be ok. As he settled himself on his bed and exhaled deeply, he faintly heard Sharpay still reveling downstairs through the closed door. He closed his eyes, and an advent of long-awaited peace draped over him as he smiled, and began to hum along with her.

* * *

Sorry it took me a while to get this chapter up. This was one of the hardest chapters I've written. I'm so used to writing mean Sharpay that I'm still getting used to writing nice Sharpay, so bear with me! I hope their dialogue was realistic enough, because it took me forever to get it to sound ok. I got a review asking if the story was going to be more about Sharpay now, (I dont remember who wrote the review, sorry!) and the answer is NO. this is a troyella fanfic, and although there has been much Sharpay in the last few chapters, I'm pretty much exhaustedof writing Sharpay for awhile and I'm itching to write some Troy/Gabriella fluff!Sharpay is still going to appear in chapters to come, but there will definetly be lots of TxG. I have a very vagueplot concerningthe next chapter, but I have an idea forming, so hopefully that'll spark something. Thanks for the reviews! Don't forget to go to my forum! 


	17. My Fortress, My Friend

**Chapter 17: My Fortress, My Friend**

"There's a spot over there." Ryan said, skillfully balancing his lunch tray with one hand while using the other to point at an empty table.

Sharpay followed his gesture and nodded, not really focusing on what he was saying. It had only been a day since Gabriella came over and accepted Sharpay's apology, but to Sharpay, it felt like much more time had passed.

She tailed behind Ryan as the two made their way across the cafeteria towards their unclaimed seats, Sharpay trying to get there as quickly as possible. She glanced at fellow students as she passed by, feeling a painful stab and recoiling as they set their glaring eyes upon her. She recognized almost every face from people she'd verbally tortured over the years.

Making her way around a particularly large group of people, Sharpay averted her eyes, hoping that no one would see her if she didn't make eye contact. She was wrong. Every eye turned to look at her as she timidly followed Ryan, some glaring, some mocking, and very few sympathetic.

"Bitch…" A blonde girl whispered as Sharpay passed by her seat. Sharpay kept her eyes glued to the floor, fighting back tears that had been threatening to fall all day. She had been stupid to think things were turning around for her. Did she really think it was going to be that easy? So Gabriella had accepted her apology - big deal. That was only one person. Somehow, Sharpay had stupidly forgotten that there were 599 other students at East High that still hated her to the highest level. It would take a lot more than an apology to convince even a fraction of the student body that she had changed.

"Don't say that." A redheaded girl sitting next to the blonde said, shocked by her usually sweet-tempered friend's choice of words. "Give her a chance - " The rest of the conversation faded away as Sharpay and Ryan walked farther from the group, but a small smile formed on Sharpay's lips at the minor uplifting comment. It was just enough encouragement to place a teeny bit of hope back in her heart, but still not enough to satisfy her completely.

_That's makes two people… _Sharpay thought to herself. She tried to stay positive. _Maybe a revolution is in the making. _Looking up from her tray of food, her eyes shifted towards her right and her stomach jumped slightly. She stopped in her place and stared as a familiar mass of loneliness settled uncomfortably into the pit of her stomach, making her feel nauseous and dejected.

Allison was sitting by herself a little ways across the cafeteria. She had her head leaned over a large textbook, flipped somewhere between the beginning and the middle of its contents, a red three-ring notebook sitting beside it. In her hand was a pencil, the tip almost broken and the eraser practically gone. A scowl emerged from her face as she furiously erased half her work and began to write again, only to stop and erase something else she'd done wrong. After one more unsuccessful attempt, she tore the wrinkled page out of her notebook and crumbled it up, tossing it to the other side of the table with an angry frown as she started again on a fresh sheet. Sharpay instantly knew that Allison was doing Algebra homework.

"Shar?" Ryan called from a few feet away. He looked in the same direction as Sharpay, and then walked over to her after he found the cause of her focus.

"Are you coming?" He asked gently, hoping she wasn't thinking of doing something rash.

Sharpay shook her head without looking at him. "Not yet… there's something I need to do first."

"Sharpay - "

"No, Ryan," Sharpay said, turning her head to look at him with her large chocolate eyes, silently begging him not to make the situation any more difficult. "Just go on, I'll be there in a minute."

Ryan began to open his mouth to argue, but thought better of it and shut it with defeat. Once Sharpay decided to do something, it was near impossible to stop her. He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze with his free hand and smiled. "Ok." And with that, he left her standing there alone. Sharpay felt an overpowering sense of vulnerability come over her as the distance between her and her brother increased, and she hated the feeling. Taking a deep breath, she quietly walked over to Allison's table, desperately hoping she wouldn't snub her at first glance.

Allison didn't notice Sharpay when she got to the table, as she was too engrossed in her latest algebra assignment to acknowledge anyone who dared to disturb her concentration. Bigfoot could've sat down with her and she wouldn't have cared, just as long as she got that homework completed. Having a fair amount of them actually _correct_ would be merely a bonus.

"Hi." A meek, familiar voice said.

Allison's head shot up and a smile almost escaped at the sight of Sharpay standing in front of her, although she looked oddly fearful - an emotion she wasn't quite used to seeing on Sharpay. Quite abruptly, Allison was dragged back to reality, and she remembered why she hadn't spoken to Sharpay in a week.

"What do you want?" Allison said, although not unkindly. Unlike other students, Allison wasn't about to sink to such a low level as they had by returning the rude comments and menacing glowers.

Sharpay fought to look her in the eye. "I, uh… I need to talk - _tell_… I need to _tell_ you something." She said, choosing her words carefully. "And I know the last thing you want to do is hear anything I've got to say, but… please, Allison, just let me have one minute and I _promise_ I won't bother you anymore." That was a downright lie. She didn't want to leave Allison alone. She wanted her best friend back.

Allison seemed to think it over for a moment, and then sighed, setting down her pencil and directing her attention to Sharpay with waiting eyes. "Ok. One minute."

Sharpay set down her tray on the table, thankful for Allison's lenience. She placed both hands on the back of a chair and nervously squeezed it until lines of sweat formed in her palms. Releasing her grip a little, she looked up and began the speech she'd written over and over in her mind until she could think of no other words to say. It had to be perfect, because this was her very last hope in ever getting her one true friend back.

"You've known me... pretty much my whole life." Sharpay said. "You've always been there for me, whether it was coming to watch me in the musicals, during my rough times, or when something good happened and I wanted to share it with you. You were always there to listen… I remember so many days when we were kids, and we'd spend Friday nights together camped out in my living room with almost every pillow in the house surrounding us, like a little fortress." She smiled at the memory, and then felt her throat go hard as she tried to keep her voice level.

"I remember, on one particular night the summer before fifth grade, we had just finished piling our pillows on top of the others, and… you turned to me, and you told me that friendship was like a fortress. You said that, it was valuable - something everyone needs to have in their lives. You said that it protected you, and kept you safe, and that it would never break because it was the strongest thing in the world…" Sharpay found it harder to keep in the tears with each passing second. Allison hung on to every word, the cafeteria fading from view as she focused on Sharpay.

"And," Sharpay said, her voice wavering. "You turned to me, and told me that you would always be there to protect me, because we were best friends, and that's what best friends did for each other. And then you told me that our friendship would never break… because it was just like that fortress, and as long as we had each other, we'd be the strongest people in the world." A tear slid down Sharpay's face and she quickly brushed it away, not catching the one that fell down Allison's.

"You were right," Sharpay said. "I've changed since we were kids, and definitely not for the better. I know you're wondering what happened to make me that way, and truthfully, _I _don't even know how to answer that question. But I do know this, and I want you to know it too… Allison, no matter what guy, whether it was Troy or someone else, and no matter if it had been you with that guy, you have to know that I would _never_ hurt you just to get the guy. And I know now that it was wrong of me to try and convince Gabriella that Troy didn't have feelings for her. And I know that it was wrong for me to be so horrible to everyone these past few years, and that not one of them deserved to be tortured that way. But Allison…" Another tear fell, but Sharpay made no effort to stop it.

"I've missed you so much. You're the only one who stuck with me through it all, the only one who was loyal when I didn't deserve it. I've become so weak, and I need you to be there for me again. Allie… I need my fortress." Sharpay finished tearfully. Allison became a giant blur of swirling color and Sharpay looked down, feeling the tears drop like rain. She was almost afraid of what Allison was thinking.

Allison felt tears of her own begin to form, shocked that Sharpay could hit her with words like those. _This_ was Sharpay, the Sharpay she met at preschool and instantly bonded with, the Sharpay she grew up with during her elementary and middle school years, the Sharpay she'd spent countless sleepovers with, whispering underneath the covers with nothing but the TV to light the room for them as they giggled and laughed till the early morning's first rays broke past the horizon. _This_ was her friend.

"I can't believe you remember all of that…" Allison said incredulously, her voice quivering slightly.

Sharpay looked up and the two remained silent for what seemed like hours. Finally, deciding Allison wasn't going to say anything more, Sharpay picked up her lunch tray and tried to force the lump in her throat back down to her stomach without crying. She'd done the best she could… and failed.

"I just wanted to tell you that you were right, and that I'm doing everything I can to fix it." Sharpay said. Turning around, she began to walk away with a heavy heart.

"Sharpay?"

Sharpay whirled around at Allison's voice, stunned but hopeful.

Allison hesitated for a second, recollecting everything Sharpay had said. She'd never seen her be so sincere or genuine about anything before, not like this. Taking one good look at her face, Allison knew how lonely Sharpay had been, which gave her a warm feeling of significance in her heart. And truth be told, Allison knew she hadn't been much better without a friend by her side, especially one that she'd known almost as long as she'd been on this earth.

Allison then did something Sharpay hadn't expected… she smiled at her. The beautiful, caring, Allison-smile Sharpay recognized from the moment they'd first met.

"Do you want to sit down?" Allison asked gently, moving her algebra books to the other side of the table. As much as her grade depended on how much social time her parents would allow her to partake in, homework didn't seem very important at that particular moment.

A wide smile spread across Sharpay's face, and she hurriedly set her tray back on the table and made her way around to Allison. The two girls met each other in a tight embrace, laughing and crying at the same time. From across the room, Ryan watched with a smile, and then went to sit with some of his friends from the drama club, not bothering to save her a seat anymore. She wouldn't need it.

As Sharpay and Allison let go of each other and sat down, one solitary thought echoed in Sharpay's mind before she succumbed to the lengthy conversation she'd been dying to have with her best friend.

_That's three._

* * *

Yes, I know, I said there wasn't going to be any Sharpay for awhile... but this chapter sort of wrote itself.I felt like I needed to tie up some loose ends with Sharpay before I moved on to Troy/Gabriella. But I PROMISE, the next chapter WILL have Troy/Gabriella. Tons. Lots. Bucket-loads. I swear. So don't hate me!


	18. A LongAwaited Question

**Chapter 18: A Long-Awaited Question**

"Ok… ok, let me get this straight," Taylor said with a look of pure astonishment and disbelief on her face. She pushed her lunch further away from her so she could lay her arms on the table, andthen leaned over someto look Gabriella in the eye.

"Sharpay Evans, East High's own little Ice Queen, walked over to you in the middle of the hallway where everyone could see, pulled you aside, and _apologized_ to you for what happened at the formal?" Taylor asked, raising her eyebrows slightly.

Gabriella nodded her head for what felt like the hundredth time, not quite understanding why this particular event was taking so long to sink into Taylor's brain. She shoved a French fry into her mouth and swallowed. "Yes, Taylor."

"And she said that you were right to say she'd never be with Troy?"

"Yes, Taylor."

"And she said she'd leave you and Troy alone from now on?" Taylor probed.

"_Yes_, Taylor! We've already been over this!" Gabriella said with tired exasperation. She'd hoped that Taylor wouldn't make such a big deal out of Sharpay's apology, even though she knew she would've anyway, being Taylor. Gabriella thoughtfully wondered how she was going to tell her about how she went to Sharpay's house and _accepted_ the apology, as she'd conveniently left that little detail out of the story.

"I know, I know," Taylor said, taking a sip of her soda. "I just can't believe it! I've never heard of her doing that before. Personally, I thought she was incapable of putting the words 'I'm' and 'sorry' together in the same sentence. Who knew?" Taylor chuckled as she took a bite of her sandwich.

Gabriella didn't laugh. "Taylor, there's more."

"More?" Taylor said with a grin as she tossed her sandwich aside. She turned to face Gabriella again with an alacritous expression, keen to know what else had happened. "Oh, please, do tell."

Gabriella paused before continuing, still unsure how Taylor would take the news. Finally, she broached the awkward part of her story. "Well, after she apologized, I um… I sort of… went to her house. And, we started talking, and she just kept apologizing for all the things she did to me, and how she knew she was wrong to do it, and I could tell she was telling the truth. I don't know, I looked at her, and suddenly, I saw her in a totally different light. And… I accepted her apology and forgave her." Gabriella finished in sort of a rush.

Taylor's grin slid off her face very slowly, taking the information in. And then, taking Gabriella by surprise, it was back, and Taylor had begun to laugh.

"Good one Gabriella!" Taylor choked out between laughs. "Real nice, you - you almost had me going for a minute there!"

Gabriella stared. "Taylor, I'm not joking."

"Yeah, sure, ok."

"I'm not!" Gabriella said loudly as she banged her fist onto the table. She caught the attention of a few people who were passing by with their lunches, her irritated voice cracking like a whip. Taylor immediately stopped laughing. Gabriella had never yelled at her before. Comprehension seemed to dawn upon her, and she knew Gabriella was telling the truth.

"But… Gabriella, _why_?" Taylor asked, utterly confused. "Why on earth would you forgive her, just like that? You _do_ remember what happened that night, don't you?"

"Yeah…" Gabriella said. "But - "

"And you _do_ remember all the horrible things she said to you when she cornered you in the bathroom?"

"Yeah, but - "

"And you _do_ remember what she tried to do with Troy?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah, b-"

"And you _do_ recall all the pain you felt when you saw the two of them together?"

"_Yes_!" Gabriella said forcefully. "Yes, I remember all of that, Taylor!"

"Then I must ask you; why did you forgot about it the moment she said 'I'm sorry?'" Taylor asked. "Why would you do something so stupid as to go over to her _house_, where you were completely vulnerable and defenseless?"

"She's not a serial killer, Taylor." Gabriella said with a hint of agitation.

"But she's caused you so much pain! I just don't understand why you forgave her after all that's happened." Taylor said, feeling a slight stab of betrayal from her best friend. She had strong aversions towards people like Sharpay, and had her misgivings about those sorts changing for the better. Sharpay had hurt her with words as well over the years - years Taylor wasn't likely to forget anytime soon.

Gabriella sighed, wondering how Taylor's convictions could be so fragmented and subjective. She dipped another French fry in a puddle of ketchup, only to blithely drop it back onto the tray. She wasn't feeling very hungry anymore.

"Taylor, I can't make you understand why I did it. I can't make you reason with me, or feel what I felt watching her cry like she did, or make you see what I saw." Gabriella said, averting her eyes from Taylor's. "You're just going to have to trust me when I saw Sharpay Evans is not the girl you're used to judging."

Taylor remained quiet, unable to respond. The bell rang brusquely, and Gabriella stood to leave, her uneaten fries still sitting on the table.

"Gabriella?" Taylor called out once she'd walked a few feet away.

She turned, and was slightly relieved to see a small smile on Taylor's face.

"Just… be careful around her, ok?" Taylor pleaded gently. "I don't want to see you get hurt again."

Gabriella gave her a smile and nodded, touched by her friend's concern. Taylor meant well, and she knew that she just needed time before she could see Sharpay like Gabriella could. Another bell rang, and Taylor jumped out of her chair, the two running out of the cafeteria for their next class.

* * *

"Oh my God, _how_ many more times is she going to make us do that dance?" Gabriella asked as her and Troy made their way off the stage and into the nearest seats where they could rest their aching muscles. Practice for the musical had begun nearly two hours ago, and Mrs. Darbus had them working from the minute they stepped into the auditorium, no previous breaks until now.

_"Opening day is in six weeks!"_ Darbus had said in her shrill voice. _"No time to waste!_" And indeed, she had wasted no time what-so-ever. She was already planning many late night into early morning practices, whether they had school the next morning or not. It was even harder on Troy, who had basketball practices to deal with. His dad had been running harder drills on them with each passing day, preparing them for the state championships that were to be held in two weeks. Although Troy's performance had drastically improved since he and Gabriella had become a couple, practices were prone to go on for up to three or four hours at a time, and missed most practices for the musical. Therefore, he had even less time to learn his lines, upsetting Mrs. Darbus greatly so that whenever he didn't get a scene quite right, she would immediately go off like a time bomb and begin to yell at him with astounding volume.

"I can't feel my legs." Troy said weakly as he edged himself off the side of the stage, wincing when his feet hit the floor.

"Bolton, Montez!" Mrs. Darbus called from across the room. "Fifteen-minute break, then we go again." Both Gabriella and Troy groaned as she turned back to the stage, now talking with one of the members of the stage crew.

"Troy…" Gabriella moaned, reaching for his hands. "Help."

Troy took her hands in his and pulled her up, letting her fall into him as her arms draped across his shoulders languidly.

"Let's sit," Troy said, steering her over to a seat away from the stage so they could have a little privacy (something they'd yet to have very much of.) "I can't stand like this for much longer." He let go of Gabriella and plopped into a chair, leaning his head back and exhaling deeply, his heart still pounding from the last routine. Gabriella sat as well, but not in a chair. Instead, she situated herself in Troy's lap, coiling one arm around his neck while the other found his own hand and weaved the two together.

Troy smiled as Gabriella placed her head onto his shoulder, and could feel her soft breath tickling the side of his neck. He was suddenly aware of how sweaty he was from the dancing, and grew warm with embarrassment, trying to move her off. No success. Gabriella didn't seem to mind at all. On the contrary, she responded to this by pulling him closer and tightened her grip as if she was determined to keep him there. Gabriella's audacity concerning her feelings towards Troy had steadily increased now that they were together, inciting her to do things she'd only been able to dream about. But now, she was actually living the dream. She could feel his pulse rapidly beating against hers… she could hear his soft voice whispering in her ear… she could touch him, and not have to guard her emotions behind a wall. It was a feeling so incredible, it still sent predominant shivers of exhilaration down her sides.

Troy relaxed, deciding that he should enjoy being so close to the girl he loved before Mrs. Darbus made them work again, and reveled in the feeling of their hearts pounding against each other's.

"Troy, I need to talk to you about something." Gabriella said as she lifted her head to look at him a few minutes later.

Troy too raised his head and opened his eyes, slightly disappointed that she had moved just when he was getting incredibly comfortable. "Ok, what's up?"

Gabriella looked down and gently overturned his hand, drawing lazy circles on his palm. "It's about Sharpay." She said nonchalantly, trying to make the conversation start out as casually as possible.

This immediately caught Troy's attention and his sore muscles tensed. "What about her? Did she do something to you?"

"No…" Gabriella said quickly. "No, it's not like that. Troy, can I - can I just ask you not to say anything until I'm finished? It's important that I say everything that needs to be said before you jump to conclusions." She said. She didn't want to deal with another episode like Taylor's.

"Yeah," Troy said as he focused his full attention on her, wondering what this was all about. "Go on."

So Gabriella did. She launched into her story about how Sharpay approached her in the hallway, how she apologized to her face for the formal, and then about how Gabriella went to her house, not leaving out any details. She tried to put in as much feeling and description as she possibly could, hoping that somehow Troy would be able to understand what Taylor had not.

After she'd finished, Troy was silent for a moment, her words running through his head. Sharpay Evans, apologizing? He certainly hadn't seen that coming.

"Gabby, are you sure about this?" He asked hesitantly. "I've known Sharpay a lot longer than you have, and she's not the type to run around playing good samaritan."

"Troy, she's changed," Gabriella said simply. "I don't know what happened to her, and I don't have answers for you. All I ask is that you trust me, and promise me you won't be mean to her." Her voice began to gain more strength as she continued. "Maybe if you're nice to her, everyone else won't give her such a hard time like they've been doing. I mean, all she has right now is her brother, and you should see it Troy - everyone is so rude to her and I don't know what to do. I haven't actually been in her specific position, but I know how it feels to have no friends, and I hate to see - "

"You're amazing, you know that?" Troy said softly, interrupting her ramble.

Gabriella blinked, furrowing her brow. "What?"

"It's just...from the moment you came here, Sharpay has been on your back, trying to tear you to pieces. You never did anything to her, but she did so much to you. And now, you're trying to make her life easier for her, despite everything she put you through." Troy said as he squeezed her hand. "That just blows me away."

Gabriella felt herself blush as she smiled, feeling a wave of heat on her back and neck. Taking her hand out of his, she placed it around his neck along with the other one and shifted closer to his face. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head and kissed him, her heart pounding madly beneath her chest. Troy held her gently as he kissed her back, and Gabriella wanting nothing more than for that moment to never end.

After a long moment, they pulled back, breathing deeply from lack of oxygen. Gabriella remained barely a few inches away from him, having no desire to move. Troy felt the same.

"I have to tell you something too," Troy said as a small smile appeared on his face.

Gabriella looked at him questioningly. "Oh, really?" She asked, backing off so she could see his face better. "What?"

"Well," Troy began. "I was talking to my dad this morning."

"Yeah?" Gabriella said slowly.

"And I asked him if we had practice tomorrow," Troy said, raising his eyebrows a little.

"Yeah?" Gabriella said again in the same tone.

"And, he said no. We don't have it 'till Thursday again. And on my way here, I looked at the drama board to see if we have practice tomorrow… and we don't." Troy said with a bigger smile.

For a moment, Gabriella wasn't sure where Troy was going with this. Then, as she began to piece it together, a smile of her own began to form and her heart beat faster with anticipation.

"So… since we don't have plans for tomorrow, I was wondering if…" Troy said, and then faltered as an unexpected lump formed in his throat, preventing him from speaking.

"If what, Troy?" Gabriella asked, the suspense slowly killing her.

Troy tried again, but couldn't utter a single sound. He didn't know what was going on. He'd already asked Gabriella out once before, and everything had turned out fine (better than he expected, actually.) So why was he getting nerves now, when they'd been together for almost three weeks?

"Troy?" Gabriella asked, seeing his expression.

The lump in Troy's throat disappeared as he looked up at her, seeing in Gabriella's eyes how badly she wanted to hear what she'd been waiting for him to ask ever since they'd become a couple. What he didn't know, however, was that Gabriella had been waiting for this much longer than Troy perceived.

"Gabby," Troy said, relieved that his voice was working again. "Will you go out with me tomorrow?" He asked. Before he even finished his sentence, he already knew what her answer was going to be.

"Yes! Yes!" Gabriella exclaimed, hugging him tightly and swiftly kissing his cheek. The largest smile possible had erupted on her face, as though she'd just been told she had won a million dollars. But this… this was worth much more to Gabriella than any amount of money.

"Somehow, I had a feeling you'd say that!" Troy said with a laugh as Gabriella kissed him again.

"You have no idea how happy you've made me." Gabriella said, the smile still plastered to her lips.

"I'm glad," Troy said softly, pulling her closer to him. The remained like this for a moment, and then Gabriella grew serious as she ran her hands down his arms.

"You better not cancel on me at the last minute, Troy." Gabriella said, looking down. "I don't care if it's basketball, or hanging out with Chad, or - " She stopped as Troy gave her a wonderfully affectionate look.

Troy raised her chin, and Gabriella couldn't find the will to tear her eyes away from his. "I wouldn't dare." He whispered.

Gabriella's eyes softened, knowing her face was red, but no longer caring. She leaned in to give him another kiss, and Troy went to meet her halfway. But before they could…

"Bolton! Montez! If there is one thing I will not tolerate after cell phones, it is public display of affection! _Honestly_, this is a chapel of the arts, _not_ a movie theater!"

* * *

There you go, some good Troyella fluff. Next chapter... next chapter is going to be dripping with Troyella, I can tell you that. I'm incredibly anxious to start writing it.So, hope everyone liked the chapter, keep it up with reviews!


	19. The Date, Part 1

**Chapter 19: The Date, Part 1**

Gabriella hummed to herself happily as she opened her closet doors, avidly sifting through her racks of clothes with an unwavering smile plastered to her lips. Every few moments, she'd glance at the clock, jolts of emotions shooting through her nervous system as the minutes ticked by. Troy would be there any moment to pick her up for their date, and she couldn't have been more excited. The mere thought of her and Troy finally having an evening alone together without anyone to interrupt or spy on them made butterflies dart back and forth in her stomach - butterflies Gabriella thoroughly enjoyed.

Troy had been very secretive concerning their plans for the evening when she'd seen him at school earlier that day. No matter how much Gabriella pleaded with him to tell her where they would be going, Troy kept his mouth annoyingly shut with a furtive sort of grin and refused to say anything.

Remembering Troy's mysterious behavior, Gabriella wondered to herself for what felt like the hundredth time that day exactly what he had planned for their very first date. It was driving her crazy not knowing. She wished she could've had the ability to peer into Troy's mind so she could see for herself, but at the same time found that not knowing was sort of exciting in it's own mixed-up way. Whether she knew what to expect or not, it didn't matter. Gabriella anticipated the evening either way.

Gabriella wished Troy would've at least given her information on what she was to wear for their mystery date. Gabriella found herself becoming more panicky by the minute as she pushed aside a few items of clothing to the side and scanned what was left with a frustrated air about her. She wanted to look good for Troy, but not overdress in case they were going to be doing something that called for casual wear. She let out an irritated sigh as she shoved a few more hangers to her right, knowing she was getting closer to the end of her wardrobe. What on earth was Troy going to say when he came to pick her up and she still wasn't dressed yet?

It was as if someone had suddenly heard her silent worries. Gabriella absentmindedly leafed through her last few outfits, convinced that nothing in her closet was good enough first-date material, when she saw it. Her heart skipped a beat as she reached towards the very back, almost having to climb into her closet to get to her forgotten outfit. She held the outfit at arm's length, and after a moment, smiled with satisfaction.

_Perfect._

* * *

Troy pushed the doorbell of the Montez home, his eagerness to start the evening mounting with each second. A reasonable amount of nerves twisted and turned in his stomach as he waited for someone to answer the door, but the nerves disappeared somewhat as he began to create his own picture of how he and Gabriella's evening would hopefully transpire… it starred a very content, very happy Gabriella who's smile glowed like the evening sun and never faded throughout his daydream. All he could hope for now was that reality would be just as pleasurable as his fantasy.

He was thrust back to the present as the door opened, and prepared to open his mouth to verbalize a proper greeting. But as he did so, words seemed to escape him, and his hands dropped slowly from behind his back to fall limply at his sides. Troy was strongly reminded of how he had felt the last time he'd come knocking on this very door and had seen the ethereal beauty of the person standing behind it. This time, however, he was not in shock, but in silent, revered awe.

She was wearing the exact outfit she'd worn on New Year's Eve, standing on that stage at the ski lodge their families both coincidentally decided to spend the Christmas break. It was the same sea-green blouse, the same perfect-fitting black pants - even her hair was styled with the same long, loose, flowing curls. She looked exactly as she had looked the first time Troy had laid eyes on her. It was a powerful déjà vu, and for a moment, Troy believed he was back at the ski lodge, singing with the girl he'd now fallen in love with.

Gabriella leaned against the doorframe, smiling demurely as she met Troy's eyes, which had turned soft with tranquility. "I hoped you'd remember." She said, closing the door as she stepped out and met the cool night.

Troy went to move closer, words finding their way back to his mouth. "How could I not? I carried around this image of you for a week after that night."

He didn't need to give the specific date for Gabriella to know which night Troy was talking about. She smiled as one of her butterflies flitted around in her stomach and she leaned in to give him a brief kiss, taking one of his hands in the process.

"So, are you finally going to tell me where and what we'll be doing tonight, Mr. Bolton?" Gabriella implored once they'd pulled away from the other.

Troy smiled with the same slyness he'd formerly portrayed. "Not yet. You'll have to be patient for just a little bit longer."  
Gabriella made a sound of disappointment at this request. "I hate being patient." She muttered.

Troy chuckled and began to lead her to his car. "Trust me, it'll be worth it."

Gabriella sighed, and then smiled as Troy showed his gentlemanly qualities and opened her car door for her. As she got in and watched him make his way around the hood of the car, she wondered if he knew just how much _he_ was worth, with or without the date attached.

* * *

They drove for almost twenty minutes, occasionally making a turn here and there, and Troy still did not say a word about their plans no matter how much Gabriella tried to impel him to give her even the tiniest hint.

"Gabriella, if you don't stop asking me what I have planned, then I will turn this car around and take you right back home!" Troy said in what Gabriella was sure was an attempt at a threatening sort of tone.

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Ok, fine… I'll stop." She turned her head to face the window with a smirk on her face, knowing that Troy would do no such thing if he had planned something truly spectacular for her.

After a few minutes, Troy made one last turn and pulled up into a parking lot that seemed to appear out of nowhere in the fading daylight. Gabriella surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings with questioning looks, trying to take everything in at once. They were at a restaurant, but it was different from any other restaurant she'd ever seen before. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but one glance told her that this was no ordinary burger stand.

"Troy, where are we?" Gabriella asked as she turned to look at him.

Troy smiled. "At Scalo's." He said, looking oddly proud of himself.

Gabriella stared at him with wide, unblinking eyes. "Scalo's?"

"Yep."

"We're eating dinner at _Scalo's_?"

"Yep."

"Troy!" Gabriella exclaimed. "This is one of the fanciest restaurants in Albuquerque! You don't just walk into a place like Scalo's and ask for a menu! You need reservations!"

"I _have_ reservations." Troy said as he looked at her with an amused face.

"But, but - " Gabriella sputtered. "I-I didn't dress for someplace like this! If I'd have know you were going to take me here, I _never_ would've worn this!" She said, pulling her blouse by the fabric near her neck, suddenly hating it.

"Gabby," Troy said softly, taking hold of her hand and rubbing the top with his thumb. "You look amazing. Don't worry, no one's going to say anything about you. And if they do… well, I think I've still got a little pent-up anger towards a certain football captain that I could unleash if you'd like." He grinned in the way Gabriella just couldn't resist, and she felt a blush suffuse her face as her eyes lost it's previous concern over the matter.

"So… shall we?" Troy asked.

Gabriella exhaled deeply and nodded, opening her door and stepping out onto the smooth blacktop. Troy met her and reached for her hand, which she took gladly. As they walked towards the entrance, Gabriella began to fully take in just how elaborate the restaurant really was.

"I can't believe you got us reservations here…" Gabriella said incredulously.

"Trust me, it wasn't easy to get them either. I was on the phone for nearly an hour trying to convince the guy on the phone that I wasn't going to stop calling until he got me reservations for this particular night." Troy said with a smirk. "He caved in after the fourth or fifth call."

Gabriella playfully hit his shoulder. "Troy Bolton, you determined little boy! I cannot believe you did that!"

"Oh, _little boy_ now, am I?" Troy said as he gave her a mockingly hurt look.

"Well, it's better than Taylor's nickname for you." Gabriella said with a grin.

"And what would that be?" Troy asked.

Gabriella turned to look at him and held back a giggle. "Lunk-head basketball man."

"What?" Troy said as he laughed. "I wonder what she calls Chad then?"

Gabriella bit her lip and looked down so Troy wouldn't see her tenacious attempts not to burst out laughing right then and there. If Troy knew what Taylor liked to call Chad when no one was around, he'd never be able to look at him the same way ever again.

The two reached the twin glass doors of the restaurant and a tall man with short but well-kept hair opened it for them. He smiled when they thanked him, but otherwise said nothing else.

Troy and Gabriella walked up to a small podium where a woman who looked like she was in her mid-twenties was scribbling something on a pad of paper with a concentrated look about her face. Her honey-colored hair was pulled back in a messy bun that stuck out of the ponytail holder in a spiky fashion, and looked as though it were about to fall out at any moment from all the hustle and bustle it had obviously been through that evening. She looked up and smiled at them, but Gabriella could tell there was a certain tiredness about her even though she seemed determined to be friendly.

"Hi, welcome to Scalo's, how can I help you?" The employee asked shaking her head slightly as if trying to keep herself awake.

Troy smiled back. "Hi, I have reservations for two - under the name 'Bolton.'"

Gabriella felt herself smile as she saw how boyishly happy he was at succeeding to find a way for them to eat at one of the best restaurants in Albuquerque, and yet still trying to look so dignified as to give the appearance that he did this sort of thing all the time. Gabriella couldn't imagine anyone being more adorable than Troy could be, and fought the urge to do anything she wouldn't have wanted to be seen doing in a public place, especially someplace as illustrious as Scalo's.

The woman lifted her notebook a few inches and pulled out a clipboard that held two or three pages in place, bearing what looked like a very long list of names. "Bolton, Bolton, Bolton…" She said under her breath as she searched the first page. Lifting it, she began scanning the second page. As the second ticked by, Troy grew slightly anxious, but refused to let it show. He didn't want to look juvenile by jumping to conclusions only to have the lady smile, point to his name, and lead them to their table two second after.

But she had flipped the third page, which was considerably shorter, and stopped to look up at him. "I'm sorry, sir, but there's no 'Bolton' on the list."

Troy felt a mixture ofslight irritationand confusion as he met her large blue eyes. This had to be a misunderstanding. "Would you mind checking again, please?" He said, trying to look calmer than he really felt. He avoided Gabriella's questioning eyes.

After a few more minutes, she lady looked up from the list and shook her head. "No 'Bolton.'"

"But - it has to be there!" Troy said, feeling a little of his emotions get the better of him. He tried to put on a relaxed face, but did no good. "I called yesterday - the guy on the phone told me he'd put me on the list for seven o' clock tonight!"

The woman narrowed her eyes slightly and glanced up, as if trying to piece something together. "Did this person on the phone happen to sound bored and uninterested in talking to you, like he had more important things to be doing?" She asked.

Troy thought back to the phone call, trying to remember. "Yeah, come to think of it, he did."

"And did he hang up on you a few times?"

"Yeah, I called back five times!" Troy said.

Comprehension seemed to dawn on the woman's face. She closed her eyes and sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Frank…"

"Sorry?" Troy asked, not understanding.

She opened her eyes again and glanced from Troy to Gabriella and back to Troy again. "Frank's been feeling a little underpaid lately, and he's letting _everyone_ know about it. He absolutely refuses to do his job right anymore, and won't until he gets a pay raise. One of his latest schemes to annoy the living shit out of us is to, unfortunately, write down reservations whenever he feels like it… and _only_ whenever he feels like it. You must've been one of the unlucky ones to call while he was in one of his lazier moods."

Troy's heart sank, and he stared at her in disbelief. "Is there any possible way you can still give us a table?" He asked weakly, abandoning all attempts to appear eminent.

"Trust me, if I could, I would get you one, but it's restaurant policy that anyone who doesn't have their name on the list can't have a table. I'm sorry…" She gave them an apologetic look, and Troy knew that there was no way around their predicament.

"No, it's ok… thank you." Troy said as he turned to leave, Gabriella following in his wake. Once they had stepped outside, Troy let out an angry sigh.

"I can't believe our dinner is ruined." Troy said as he glanced at Gabriella. "I wanted to take you someplace special tonight, and now I can't."

"Troy, it's ok," Gabriella started. "I really wasn't very hungry anyway - huge lunch, you know? So, let's just forget about this and tell me what we were going to do after dinner."

Troy looked up and had to smile at the look on her face - like a child waiting to open a mountain of Christmas presents. "Ok," He said. "I have this friend who works at the movie theater, and they just got Pirates of the Caribbean 2... And I persuaded him to let us watch it before it comes out."

"What?" Gabriella asked with excitement. "Troy, that movie doesn't come out until July!"

"Well, I know you liked the first one - "

"I loved it!" Gabriella said as she gave him a wide grin.

"Good," Troy said as he squeezed her hand before butting his own on the wheel. "Let's just hope he doesn't lose the film before we get there…"

* * *

I know I said that this chapter was going to be dripping in Troyella, but I had to split the chapter in two, because it was getting so long. I'm still not done with the second half yet, but I should be in a few days, so you can expect it up soon. And just so everyone knows, "Scalo's" is a real restaurant in Albuquerque. It's supposed to be really fancy, but I coudn't find any pictures of it, so if my description of it sucks, sorry! Also, in case anyone was wondering, it's pronounced, Scahl-oh's. Just thought you'd like to know... ok, don't forget to review!


	20. Not the Evening They Expected pt 2

**Chapter 20:** Not the Evening They Expected

Another twenty minutes later, Troy and Gabriella walked inside a brightly-lit movie theater painted in shades of blue, white, and silver. It was almost packed with people waiting to buy tickets, eager to see the latest movies with friends and family. Bits of their conversations mixed with other's, making it impossible to fathom which voices were whose. Gabriella was abruptly hit with the strong aroma of buttery popcorn and she felt her stomach rumble hungrily. She hoped Troy couldn't hear it, afraid that he'd feel even worse about missing dinner if he knew just how starved she really felt.

Almost immediately after walking into the theater, a very tall man with shoulder-length corkscrew hair strode up to them from out of nowhere. He had a baseball cap on backwards, as if to hide the untidiest parts of his mane and had a dark tan that looked very strange compared to the pale complexions of those walking by. A red vest with a silver nameplate over his stained clothing completed his bizarre look. He walked with a sort of strut, although it seemed unintentional, and a lopsided grin resided on his grungy face as he stopped in front of Troy.

"Hey, hey, hey, if it isn't my main man Mista Troy-the-basketball-boy Bolton!" He said enthusiastically. His voice sounded like that of a true surfer, and Gabriella had to look down for a moment to hide her giggle.

"Hey, Marco!" Troy said with a humorous smile. "Long-time no-see!"

"Too long, if you ask me man! Come on, gimme a hug!" And without giving Troy the choice to do so, Marco pulled him into a tight embrace that nearly lifted Troy off his feet. Gabriella covered her mouth as her giggles threatened to turn into full-on laughter at this incongruous sight and looked away, trying to save Troy some humiliation.

Troy's face grew red with embarrassment as he saw Gabriella's failed endeavors to force down her hysterics. "Dude, not in front of my girlfriend…" He said in a low, urgent voice, feeling his back grow intensely hot.

Marco released Troy just as quickly as he'd hugged him and seemed completely oblivious to Troy's embarrassment. His eyes focused on Gabriella for the first time, who was still having trouble keeping a straight face, and used this opportunity to disguise her laughter into a bright, hopefully friendly-looking smile.

"Right! Sorry man, completely forgot my manners." Marco said in his very surfer-like voice. He reached out his hand and shook Gabriella's. "It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, my fine lady."

"It's nice to meet you too," Gabriella said, still smiling at how comical this guy was. "I'm Gabriella."

"I always knew Superstar was gonna find someone. He's a regular stud, this guy is…You're lucky you got a hold of him before someone else did, I'll tell ya that." Marco said, releasing her hand as his head turned to look at each of them approvingly. Troy was still recovering from their embrace to stand up perfectly straight, but again, Marco was oblivious about this and continued smiling as he began to bounce on his heels like a small child waiting for candy.

"Yeah, I _am_ lucky…" Gabriella said with a smile as she looked at Troy, who managed a feeble smile back as he stood slightly hunched over. Marco looked positively awed by this and sighed happily.

"Ahh, love… pretty sweet if ya ask me. There's nothing like it in the whole wide world. Just beautiful…" For a moment, his eyes glazed over and Troy could tell he was zoning out into his own little Marco-world, as he often tended to do. With a jerky start, Marco came back just as quickly as he'd left.

"But you know all about that already!" Marco said energetically. He seemed not to care that he was attracting a lot of attention from people walking past them, but Gabriella noticed that the other staff members didn't look quite as disturbed by Marco's behavior at all. In fact, they seemed quite used to it.

"Listen, Superstar," Marco began in the quietest, most serious tone he'd used yet. He bent his knees and back to get to eye-level with him and glanced around quickly to make sure they couldn't be overheard. "I managed to hook you up with theater fourteen tonight, which is sposed' to be empty for tonight, and tonight only, so ya shouldn't be interrupted by any of the staff."

He handed them two small squares of paper. "Here's tickets to another movie. Just give 'em to one of the guys and pretend like you're going to see that movie, then go to theater fourteen when no one's looking. And please man, make _sure_ no one sees you. I could lose my job if my manager finds out I'm letting you guys see a movie that's not sposed' to be out yet, and I really need this money. We clear bro?" He asked, looking slightly apprehensive.

"Don't worry, Marco," Troy said with an assuring smile. "We'll be careful."

A relieved grin spread across Marco's face as he clapped Troy on the back. "I know you will, Superstar! Well, I gotta get back to work, so you two have fun! And remember, if you _do_ get caught, _I had nothing to do with it_. Nice meetin' ya Gabs!"

"You too." Gabriella said, biting her lip as soon as the words came out. Marco gave one last grin to Troy and then walked away with his wobbly strut. As soon as he was out of earshot, Gabriella turned to Troy and burst out laughing.

"Troy, _where_ do you find these people?" Gabriella asked between gasps for breath.

Troy gave a sheepish grin as he ran his hand through his hair, still a little embarrassed by his friend's behavior in front of her. "Well, they kinda find me…"

"And what was with the whole 'Superstar' thing?" Gabriella asked, still laughing.

Troy felt his face grow even warmer. "Marco likes his nicknames…" He muttered, staring at the floor awkwardly. After a moment, he straightened up and handed her a ticket. "Are you ready to go?" He asked, hoping that a change in subject would make Gabriella forget about Marco's… Marco-ness.

Gabriella gave one last chuckle and nodded, calming down a bit. "Yeah, let's go…"

They walked up to the entrance of the theaters and casually handed an employee the decoy tickets, hurriedly making their way down a long, dark hallway with flashing red numbers over each theater. Loud booms and muffled dialogue could be heard as Troy and Gabriella passed by the mahogany-red doors, but neither hesitated to listen closer. Troy glanced over his shoulder every so often, making sure that no one was behind them. As embarrassing as Marco could be sometimes, he was Troy's friend, and he didn't want his first-date plans with Gabriella to be the reason why he was fired from a job he desperately needed.

They reached the end of the hallway, which was currently deserted. Everyone had to be in their own theaters by now, which made the strategy of getting into their own special theater much easier. Ushering Gabriella forward, Troy opened the door of theater fourteen and quietly slipped in after her, thankfully unnoticed.

Darkness engulfed them at once, their only source of dim, eerie light emitting from the giant movie screen. Leading the way, Troy strode into the center of the theater, Gabriella close behind. It was just as Marco had said…the theater was completely empty.

"Um… where do you want to sit?" Troy asked.

Gabriella glanced around for a moment, and then smiled. "In the middle," She said. "That's the best view." And with that, she climbed up the short carpeted stairs and maneuvered her way into the central area of the theater, stepping sideways into her choice row and plopping down into a seat. Troy followed and sat next to her, making himself comfortable.

Gabriella sighed gently and stared at the blank screen for a minute before turning her head to look at Troy. "This is nice." She said.

"Yeah," Troy said in a strained voice, stretching his arms over his head. "No annoying kids screaming at the top of their lungs, no cell phones constantly going off, no…" He stretched out his body even more and stifled a yawn. "… no one to bother us."

Gabriella's heart began to beat faster, like a pounding drum in her chest. She could barely hear him. All her senses seemed to turn off as one thought repeated itself in her mind over and over.

"Yeah…" Gabriella said softly. "No one… to bother us…" Her eyes slowly traveled up until they met his, and they both froze.

They'd been together for almost three weeks. Three wonderful, amazing, perfect weeks, and yet there had been few spare moments where their attentions could be devoted to the other's. There'd been very rare, limited conversations between them that were guaranteed not to be overheard by inquisitive gossipers who loomed in the shadows, waiting for the next piece of juicy news to sink their teeth into.

There'd been no assured opportunities for either of them to speak... or act… the way they had done on the night of the formal… no other opportunities, except for tonight.

"Troy," Gabriella said in the same soft tone, weaving her fingers with his. There was so much she wanted to say that she hadn't been able to on that memorable night - so much that she wanted him to know. But as the first word began to form…

BOOM!

Gabriella jumped in her seat and frantically looked all around the theater, trying to locate the source of the noise. It had sounded like a gunshot, but seemed like it had been suppressed, as if it had come from far away. Troy took Gabriella's shaking hand and held it soothingly, trying to relax her.

"Gabriella, it's ok… it's ok." Troy said gently. But as soon as these words left his mouth, the entire theater went pitch-black and Gabriella gave a little yelp of alarm.

Silence.

"Troy, what happened?" Gabriella asked, her palm sweating in Troy's.

He couldn't see her at all in the obscure blackness. He couldn't even see his own hands in front of his face.

"I don't know… it might just be Marco playing a joke on us… but let's get out of here anyway. I don't want to take any chances." Troy stood up, bringing Gabriella with him, and hesitantly reached into the dark for her other hand. He didn't have to grope very far - Gabriella had been looking for his hand too. Their fingertips lightly brushed against each other's, and Troy held both of her hands in his, silently walking backwards out of the row.

She was so close. He could feel her shaky breath on the hollow of his throat. His stomach jumped a mile high as he became aware of her body moving closer, and felt a tickling sensation rise in his whole body as the warmth of her breath intensified. She couldn't have been more than six inches away.

Gabriella could feel her face burning, but her lips curled into a smile. She knew she was incredibly close to Troy, and she could feel his pulse quicken through his wrists, sending a quick shiver down her spine. However, she made no intention of moving away. She loved the idea of being the only girl who could make Troy's heart race like it was doing now, and took pleasure in it whenever the occasion arose… plus, it was fun to see Troy squirm in that cute little way of his, even though she couldn't actually 'see' him at this particular moment.

After what felt like hours, Troy and Gabriella made it out of the row and started down the stairs. Troy turned around to face the front, still holding one of Gabriella's hands, not so sure that he wanted to let it go. Surprisingly, they got down the stairs much easier and quicker than they did going down the row of theater seats, and could see the light of the exit in no time.

Troy opened the door a crack, checking to see if the coast was clear. When it was, they swiftly slid out of the empty theater and down the hallway back to the main entrance. Troy was point-blank determined to find out what had interrupted the second part of he and Gabriella's date, and then determined to kick Marco in the shins if this was indeed just another one of his un-witty jokes.

The main entrance was considerably brighter than the theater, but all the lights were off, as were the cash registers and any other source of illumination in the building. It seemed as though Troy wasn't the only one who wanted to find out what was going on - there were at least a hundred and fifty people wandering around, asking each other questions with slightly anxious looks on each individual face.

Troy searched the crowd and saw Marco hunched over, talking with two blonde girls. He looked serious, an expression Troy very rarely saw on him. Whatever was going on had to be something bad for Marco to temporarily lose his lively personality.

"Come on…" Troy muttered as he and Gabriella made their way over to Marco. The two blondes were gone by the time they reached him.

"Marco, what's going on?" Troy asked.

Marco looked down at him and Gabriella and sighed. "Big, _big_ power outage. The entire theater's electrical system completely shut down. No idea why. I think a few sockets blew out too… weren't too far away from your theater, actually."

"So…" Troy began, feeling his anger rise again. "Are you telling me that _all_ the theaters are out?"

Marco nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Superstar. I know how much this meant to you."

"You have no idea…" Troy said under his breath so Marco couldn't hear him. His mumbling didn't escape Gabriella, though. She could feel his hand tense irritably, and gently rubbed it with her thumb, trying to keep him calm.

Marco rubbed the back of his neck and his head shot up as a woman with thick curly hair wearing a blue suit called out his name. Marco nodded to her, and quickly glanced back down to Troy. "Dude, if you give me… I don't know, a few weeks… _maybe_ I can get you the theater again." He said in an undertone.

Troy looked up and gave a half-smile, appreciating the fact that Marco was willing to risk his job one again for Troy's own needs. If this had been any other time, he would've jumped at the offer… but no matter how much he wanted to, he knew that he and Gabriella would be even more swamped with the musical now that they were going to open in a month, and were very unlikely to have extra time for anything else.

"It's ok, Marco," Troy said with a bitter voice and his smile now forced. "Thanks anyway."

The woman in the blue suit called for Marco again. "I gotta go, that's my boss." Marco said hurriedly, looking a little frightened at the thought of keeping her waiting. "See you later, Superstar… girlfriend of the Superstar…" And then he was gone, leaving Troy behind to fume silently.

Gabriella still rubbed the outside of Troy's hand, hoping she could make him relax. She took a small step closer and hesitantly spoke. "Troy?"

"First dinner, and now the movie…" Troy said in a slightly unsteady voice. "What next?"

"Hey, hey, hey…" Gabriella said, turning him around and making him look her in the eye. "It's ok, don't worry about it. We can still see that movie… we just have to wait a little longer, that's all." She squeezed his hand with a small encouraging smile, but he didn't respond.

"It's just… I thought that… I thought missing dinner would be the only problem we'd have tonight." Troy said as he sighed angrily. "I didn't think the whole date would go down too."

"Well," Gabriella said, taking his hands and leading him out the exit doors where they collided with an unexpected cold breeze. Apparently the temperature had dropped a few points. "The date isn't over yet, is it?" She asked hopefully.

Troy's sullen demeanor suddenly changed enormously as an excited expression formed on his face. "No, we have one more stop to make. And trust me, you're going to _love_ it." He pulled back one of his hands and tightened his grip on Gabriella's right, starting to accelerate his strides. Gabriella giggled and followed after him, jumping into his car to escape the cold. Troy started up the engine in a hurry, anxious to get to his final stage of the date. For the moment, he forgot about their missed dinner and movie. This was what he'd been looking forward to the most all night - this was what would make up for everything that had gone wrong.

* * *

"Troy, you're killing me. Tell me where we're going!" Gabriella playfully demanded ten minutes later as she folded her arms across her chest, still feeling a little cold.

Troy took notice of this and turned up the heat a notch. He rounded one last corner and a wide smile broke across his face as he pulled up into a small parking lot. In front of them stood a plain, one-story, brick building that looked quite isolated. No sign hung on the door to indicate the name of the place, and Gabriella, who was feeling more perplexed than ever that evening, turned to Troy.

"Should I even bother asking where we are?" She asked jadedly, raising her eyebrows.

Troy didn't answer. His once-happy grin disappeared like someone had reached down and physically ripped it off, leaving nothing but a blank look on his face as his eyes darted around the parking lot.

_He has to be here…_ Troy thought desperately, opening his car door and abstractedly wandering to the side of the building, ignoring Gabriella's calls to him. _He has to be here, he promised me he'd be here…_

He searched for any sign of the coal-black Ford in the side parking lot, any trace that indicated that he had not forgotten about Troy or the conversation he'd had with him just yesterday, and how he'd said he'd come through for him this time…

_He lied._

Troy was too angry to yell. Too angry to punch something. Too angry to do anything except turn around and walk back to his car with his fists in tight balls at his sides. He avoided Gabriella's inquiring eyes at all costs.

"Troy, what's wrong?" She asked, shifting her head to the side, trying to look at him. "What is this place?" He still didn't answer, but put both hands on the wheel of the car and leaned his head against it, sighing faintly. Gabriella gave him a few seconds of silence, and then began to grow frustrated by his obstinacy. She tried again with a more insistent tone.

"Troy, tell me what's going on. Now." She said, wishing she didn't have to raise her voice to get Troy to talk to her.

A few more seconds passed, and then Troy took a deep breath, knowing he was getting close to Gabriella's irritated side, and he had no desire to bring it out into full form.

"My uncle works here." Troy began in a quiet, hard note. "He works for a small recording company that's got a few other places in southern California, just for people who are… starting out."

"Starting out what?" Gabriella asked.

"Music." Troy said with the same hardness in his throat. "He gives whoever wants to sing a chance to make a demo, so they can send it in to the big companies and hope they get a shot at stardom. They all start out in places like this." He lazily gestured a hand to the building.

Troy sighed profoundly and continued, his anger beginning to lick at his insides. "Kelsi made me a copy of the music for our callback song a few days ago, and I managed to convince my uncle to help us start everything up in his studio… and…"

"And what, Troy?" Gabriella probed, feeling her heart beat faster with anticipation.

"And… record our song." Troy finished, hanging his head lower with shame at knowing that the one free night he'd been able to have with Gabriella was completely ruined. He forced himself not to look at her, embarrassed that he'd failed to create the prefect evening he'd so often envisioned in his mind's eye. He wondered whether Gabriella thought of him as a failure too.

Gabriella's eyes grew wet with sentiment as she gazed at Troy's bowed head, an overwhelming feeling of movement settling in the pit of her stomach. "We were going to make a demo?" She asked with a slight quiver in her voice.

Troy winced as he heard her change in tone. _Great, I've disappointed her so badly that I made her cry!_ He thought miserably. _I really am a screw-up._

"Yeah," Troy said irately as he lifted his head and stared straight into the windshield. "'Were' being the choice word. I should've known better than to ask my uncle for help - he's never come through for me in the past… I don't know why I thought this time would be any different." He made a soft, dejected noise and closed his eyes as he leaned his head against the seat.

"This is all my fault," He said. "I should've planned this all differently. I should've physically got up and went to Scalo's to make that reservation so that when we got there, I'd know_ for sure_ that my name was on that stupid list. I should've taken you to the theater earlier, so we could actually _see_ the movie I begged my friend to let us see five months before it came out." He shook his head as he bit his tongue, still keeping his eyes shut.

"I should've taken you to the best recording studio in New Mexico, where we'd be guaranteed to record our song… but I didn't." Troy was silent for a minute, his heart sinking lower and lower until he thought it would fall out of his body entirely.

"Troy - "

"You know what? It doesn't even matter anymore," Troy said, cutting her off. "Because this was our one night together, our _first_ night to spend just the two of us, and I blew it." He started up the engine and put his hands on the wheel, sighing softly. He'd never felt so terrible in his whole life. "I'll just take you home now, and - "

"No." Gabriella said softly, putting her hands on his and catching him off guard. She lightly glided them off the wheel, wanting him to look at her - to see those blue eyes staring back into hers so she could knock some sense into him. How could he feel so guilty over something he had no control over?

He couldn't avoid her any longer. He mentally braced himself, expecting to see huge tears falling down Gabriella's face from not getting the first date he knew she'd been wistfully anticipating. What he didn't foresee was completely the opposite. She wasn't crying… she was smiling.

"I don't want to go home, Troy." Gabriella said, running her thumb over his knuckles. Her eyes glanced to the clock on the radio, which read eight thirty-seven. Perfect, it was still early…

"Well, I - " Troy stuttered, flummoxed by her unexpected reaction. "What's left to do?" He asked weakly. "I didn't plan anything else."

Gabriella curled her lips inward, sticking the very tip of her tongue out in the corner, thinking hard. Her eyebrows slanted, and her glance focused on nothing in particular, trying to come up with an alternate solution to their dilemma. Seconds passed, turning into minutes - and with each minute, Troy felt more and more depressed. He closed his eyes tightly, hoping that if he wished hard enough, he'd awake from this nightmare and find that he hadn't picked Gabriella up for their date yet. He opened them and saw no change, much to his dismay.

And then a light bulb went off in Gabriella's mind, as if an imaginary hand had suddenly flicked the 'on' switch and brought everything to life in her head, filling it with buzzing excitement. She knew exactly what they were going to do.

Gabriella opened her car door and stepped out, making her way to the driver's side with a mysterious grin. Troy's eyes followed her through the thick glass and stopped as she opened his door, standing with one hand on her waist and the other on the door.

"Get out." She said.

Troy looked at her with confused eyes. "What?"

"Get out. I'm driving." Gabriella replied.

Troy shook his head blankly and raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean, 'you're driving'? Where are we going?"

"Now, Troy," Gabriella said teasingly. "You're going to have to be patient for just a little longer." She took one of his arms and pulled him out of the seat, taking his place.

"Come on, get in." Gabriella said, patting the seat next to her.

"Gabriella - " Troy began.

"Troy." Gabriella said softly, giving him a pleading sort of look. "Just trust me, please?" She looked so desperate to get him in that car that Troy couldn't possibly say anything that would change her mind and let him take her back home. So, he did the only thing he could do (since it _was_ his car), and walked around to the passenger's side. Closing the door, he didn't say another word.

* * *

Please don't hate me for not keeping my promise again... this chapter is literally writing itself, and was rapidly approaching 6000 words, which I felt was WAY too much for one chapter. I don't want people to get tired of reading on and on and on and then begin to scan the chapter, missing important details. By now, many of you don't trust my promises, but I'll make another one anyway. The next chapter will have tons of Troyella fluff. I promise.

A side note to **Hopeless Wanderer**: I know the whole missing dinner thing was cliche, but I had to do it, because it all ties together in the next chapter. I just couldn't find any other way to get to where I want to get (believe me, I tried to think of something better.) I hope you'll see what I mean in the next chapter!


	21. Forever

**Chapter 21: Forever**

They didn't speak for the entire ride, although Gabriella had an unnaturally upbeat attitude about her, which sent Troy into another torrent of perplexity. Their date was ruined. How could she be so serene and untroubled about the fact that it would be very unlikely that they would get another chance to go out again until the musical was over?

As houses and trees became multi-colored blurs, Troy shifted in his seat and narrowed his eyes, staring out at the window. He knew this place…

"We're almost there…" Gabriella said cheerily, turning round a corner.

With a harsh pang of realization, Troy felt his stomach clench and sunk down so that his knees practically touched the dashboard. "Yeah… I know." He said heavily.

Not two minutes later, Gabriella made one last turn and pulled up into an asphalt driveway which was completely empty… except for a basketball net.

Gabriella pulled the keys out of the ignition and lightly tossed them to Troy, turning to smile at him.

"Well, say something." She said. It wasn't a demand.

Troy leaned his head against the back of his seat and moaned. "Gabriella…"

"What?"

Troy gave her a sarcastic look. "We're at my house."

"Your point?"

"Gabriella, _we're at my house_."

"_I know_." Gabriella responded in the same tone. She looked at him in an almost amused way, as if she found his unpleasant stance rather funny. She opened her door and got out, peering through the window at him. "Are you coming?"

Troy sighed and fought the urge to kick the nearest object in his frustration as he slammed the door behind him and followed Gabriella, who was already halfway to the front door by the time he got out of the car.

Gabriella glanced at the driveway and then laughed, half-way turning her head. "Troy, are your parents _ever_ home?" She asked jocularly, shaking her head with a chuckle. It was hard to believe that she'd been terrified the last time she'd found out that the Boltens' would be out, unknowingly leaving her and Troy completely alone… now 'alone' was the only thing they wished they could have. _Oh, the irony_… Gabriella thought to herself.

Troy didn't answer. He was in no mood for jokes. He plunged his house key into the keyhole and thrust the door open, striding inside and making a beeline for the kitchen before Gabriella could say anything else. He hastily picked up a yellow piece of paper on the countertop with a note scribbled on it by his mother, telling Troy that her and his father would be out late due to a last-minute invitation. He also found a little side-note in his father's handwriting, wishing him good luck on his date and adding a little 'wink, wink' in parenthesis. Crumbling it up and tossing it back onto the counter, Troy opened the refrigerator, scanning the shelves for something to take his mind off of the horrible evening.

He heard the TV turn on in the next room and an opening of drawers, followed by the soft clicking of a remote control. Troy closed his eyes and then let the door shut, feeling like something was trying to burrow in his stomach, taking away his appetite. He wandered into the living room where he found Gabriella settled comfortably on the couch with the DVD remote in her hand. She looked up as he entered and smiled, hitting the 'pause' button.

"Hey! Come on, sit down. Oh, wait, not yet - where's your phonebook?" Gabriella said in a rush, jumping from the couch and looking at him expectantly.

Troy wordlessly gestured to one of the side-tables. As Gabriella walked past, she gave him a little shove with her left hand. Troy was completely caught off-guard by this action and lost his balance, falling into the couch very ungracefully. Gabriella took no notice, but instead began flipping through the phonebook until she found what she was looking for. Picking up the phone, she dialed a number and held the receiver up to her ear as she waited for someone to pick up.

"Gabriella - " Troy began.

"Shh -" Gabriella whispered, putting one finger to her mouth. "Yes, hello, I'd like to order one large pepperoni pizza and a side of breadsticks for delivery… no… no, just the… ok, hold on - Troy, do you want to get a medium for free if we get two orders of breadsticks?" Gabriella asked, putting the phone to her shoulder.

"Whatever…" Troy muttered. Pizza. His perfect dinner was being reduced to _delivered_ _pizza_.

Gabriella nodded and turned her attention back to the phone, ignoring Troy's obvious unhappiness. "Ok, we'll take the free medium." She gave the pizza place Troy's address and phone number, and then clicked the 'end call' button with satisfaction.

"It'll be here in half an hour." Gabriella said as she seated herself next to Troy. He didn't answer. Gabriella ignored him once again and picked up the remote from the coffee table. "I hope you don't mind, but I already started the movie…" As she hit 'play' and the once-black screen came to life again, Troy felt a hard lump form in his throat. She had chosen the first "Pirates of the Caribbean.".

"Do you want me to get us some drinks while we wait for the food?" Gabriella asked without taking her eyes off the screen, watching the young Will Turner being hauled out of the dead-looking sea and a young Elizabeth watching the commotion of the crew from the side.

Troy still didn't answer.

Gabriella sighed almost inaudibly and clicked 'pause' again, turning to face her miserable boyfriend. "Troy, what's wrong?" She asked, as if she'd just noticed that something was troubling him.

"You know perfectly well what's wrong." Troy said coldly, his eyes flickering to the floor.

"I'm not sure that I do." Gabriella said, leaning her head to the side to try to catch his glance.

"Oh, you don't?" He asked mockingly. "Are you really that naïve?"

The words slightly stung Gabriella, but she refused to let it show. "Troy, I know that things didn't go exactly according to plan - "

"Damn right they didn't…" Troy said under his breath.

"But do you really have to be so upset about it? I mean, ok, dinner at Scalo's would've been nice, and the movie very thoughtful, and I _was_ looking forward to the demo - "

"Exactly!" Troy exclaimed, standing up and facing her. He felt his anger leaking out of him like a helium balloon, losing more control over his words by the second as they scattered into the open. "You were looking forward to it! All of it! The _whole_ package, and I couldn't even get you a fraction!" He ran both hands through his hair and made an angry noise.

"You were _so_ excited… _I_ was excited, because I was going to go out with my girlfriend like normal guys do! Guys that aren't 'playmakers' or, 'the basketball guys.' Have you even _looked_ at the calendar Darbus has given us for musical practices? We won't get to spend _any_ time together next month! This was our first night to be together, just the two of us, and I ruined it! We're not supposed to be here, in my house, waiting for pizza and watching DVD's… it was all supposed to be perfect. This _night_ was supposed to be perfect…" He finished, slightly out of breath from his ramble and placed his hands on his waist, looking down at the ground as an uncomfortable silence unfolded between them.

He didn't see Gabriella get up from the couch, nor did he see her feet grow closer and closer to his own until they were directly in front of him. His head jerked upward and his heart skipped a beat as he found himself face to face with Gabriella, who was neither crying nor smiling. In fact, her face was quite expressionless as she took Troy's hands and held them between their bodies, pleasurable heat creeping down Troy's arms in the process.

Their eyes connected. "Take a look around, Troy." Gabriella said softly, glancing around the room for a moment before her gaze came back to Troy's. "No one's here except us. We're alone… and we're together… What could be more perfect than that?"

Her words made such an impact on Troy that all of his previously negative feelings evaporated right into thin air. Gabriella was right, and everything suddenly made sense. A twinge of guilt twisted it's way into the pit of Troy's stomach as he recalled how rude he'd been to her, and how she'd taken all of it without a single retaliatory word in response.

He felt horrible, but now for different reasons. "I'm so sorry, Gabby…" Troy said softly, holding her hands a bit tighter, not wanting to let her go. "I was being stupid. I shouldn't have said those things before - I was disappointed, that's all - "

"Troy - "

"You're not naïve. You're the smartest person I've ever met - "

"Troy - "

"I shouldn't have gone off the handle like that - "

"Troy!" Gabriella said loudly, breaking Troy's second ramble. She smiled apologetically. "Just kiss me." This time, it was not a request.

Troy gave her a little grin in return and put his hands around her waist, drawing her closer. She happily obliged, tilting her head upward as the space between them gradually lessened, until there was no gap left. A heavy, irresistible wave of longing broke over Troy at that moment and hard shivers shot down his back, filling him with an exhilarating and almost unrealistic pleasure. He could not believe how amazing Gabriella was… the things she did to him…

He leaned forward and kissed her, savoring the sweet seconds that passed before lack of oxygen deprived them of any further ecstasy. Troy's head was spinning by the time they pulled away from the other, and found it hard to focus on any one thing. He _could_, however, make out a very large smirk on Gabriella's face before she took his hand and led him over to the couch, a little blush coloring her face.

"I really hope the pizza gets here soon…" Gabriella said, seating herself next to him once Troy had sat down. "All this running around Albuquerque is making me hungry." She lifted her feet off the floor and onto the couch, tucked over one another so that her legs slanted to her right. Once she had herself situated to her liking, she reached out and tugged one of Troy's sleeves, motioning him to move closer to her. He did so, and Gabriella smiled as he put one warm arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head against the part of his neck where it connected with his shoulder and sighed softly, clicking the 'play' button on the DVD remote before entwining her other hand with Troy's.

Troy gazed down at her, still feeling a small, tiny pang of disappointment at not getting to make the demo of their callback song with her. No matter how happy Gabriella insisted she was with just being with him, he still wished that he could've been able to at least give her that one piece of unmatchable joy.

"Gabriella?" He whispered.

"Yeah?" She replied, now watching Elizabeth curiously leaning over the unconscious Will Turner.

"I really am sorry…"

Gabriella shifted her head so that she was looking up at him with her big chocolate-brown eyes, and gave a tiny smile. "For what? " She said. It was a question that wasn't meant to be answered, and Troy felt his heart leap out for her. They held gazes for what felt like hours, and then Gabriella lifted her head as high as it would go and kissed the bottom of Troy's chin. She turned back around to face the TV screen and closed her eyes with nothing short of content as she felt the shape of Troy's lips place themselves on the top of her head.

Troy leaned his head on top of Gabriella's and breathed in her compelling scent - a scent so unique, so beyond compare, that there was no other word for it except 'Gabriella.' Their bodies began to grow comfortably warm as they held each other, and it made Gabriella almost sleepy with its intoxicating glow that seemed to penetrate into her entire inner self. She'd never been so relaxed in her entire life… never had she felt so safe than when she was in his arms. It was a security unlike any other, like a physical display of Troy's promise… he'd never let anyone or anything hurt her, no matter what. Gabriella felt no worries or concerns or fears when with him, for what could she possibly fear? She had Troy, always there to protect her…

With that last satisfying thought, Gabriella smiled and giggled under her breath as Jack Sparrow made his entrance, completely unaware that Troy was fondly watching her every move, as if afraid of missing one single second.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_"What are you doing? You've burned all the food! The shade! The rum!_

_"Yes, the rum is gone."_

_"Why is the rum gone?"_

_"One, because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels. Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for me. Do you think there is even the slightest chance they won't see it?"_

_"…But why is the rum gone?"_

Troy laughed as he watched Jack Sparrow's distraught face as he realized that all his precious rum had been turned into ash and smoke. No matter how many times Troy watched this scene, it always made him laugh. Plus, now that his mood had lifted, he and Gabriella were having more fun than he imagined, had their previous plans worked out. Half a pizza and a few uneaten breadsticks lay on the coffee table, along with two almost-empty cans of Pepsi. Gabriella had really tried not to eat a lot - but once the pizza had made its way into the living room, she just couldn't help herself and ended up eating almost four pieces. Troy had laughed at this and playfully teased her while Gabriella stuck out her tongue as a reply.

Thinking of this particular moment, Troy glanced down at Gabriella, who was now lying completely flat on the couch, curled up in a little ball. His eyes rested on her for a millisecond, and then he did a double-take. Making a small noise of utter disbelief, he chuckled. Gabriella was fast asleep.

_Well, doesn't this bring back memories…_ Troy thought to himself as he tried to suppress another laugh. Standing, he walked over to the TV and turned it off, not really wanting to watch the movie by himself anymore, and also so as to not wake Gabriella. He went back to the couch and reached behind it, pulling out a soft baby blue blanket, which he carefully draped over Gabriella's sleeping silhouette. After doing so, Troy sat down on the floor and watched her body gently rise and fall, captivated by these barely noticeable movements.

He'd lighted a fire in the fireplace a little while ago, and the wood beneath the flickering flames was slowly beginning to incinerate, filling the room with an appreciative warmth. Stars glittered in the black velvet sky overhead, like a million diamond that had been carelessly strewn across the never-ending void, completing the image of a truly perfect night. Gabriella's frame was bathed with the soft glow of firelight, and when it mixed with the silvery moonbeams that shone through the cold glass windows, they merged to create a pale-ish yellow hue that danced on her very skin and clothing.

Troy watched her for what felt like hours… rise… fall… rise… fall… something as simple as watching her breathe while she slept was, to Troy, the most peaceful thing he could possibly imagine. He was absolutely amazed at how one person could affect him like this.

The fused luminosity trembled, and one particular flare of light thrust itself onto Gabriella's face, casting such a sharp and defined image that Troy almost felt his mouth fall open at the sight. And then, just as quickly, it was gone - although not an inch of her resplendent debonair went with it.

Suddenly, his hands seemed to have minds of their own and were reaching out to touch Gabriella's long lustrous hair. He couldn't help himself… he needed to feel her wonderfully dark locks between his fingers, just as he'd needed to feel them on the night she'd first come home with him and had fallen asleep on this very couch. It seemed so long ago… and yet, he could recall every detail like it was just yesterday.

"You are so beautiful…" Troy said softly. He held a small ringlet of her hair between his first two fingers and ran them through until he reached the bottom of the strands. "I can't even begin to find the words to tell you…" He felt his heart ache as the light of the fire rested on her hair for a fraction of a second, and then he continued to speak.

"I always thought you were beautiful, even on the first night when we met." Troy said, taking another section of hair and caressing it in the same manner. "I remember being so nervous up on that stage, with everyone watching us. I was so close to running off, but when I heard you sing for the very first time… you had me."

The words were now beginning to flow freely from Troy's heart straight out of his mouth, and each one came more naturally than anything he'd ever said. He didn't need to think… every word felt right and fit into place.

A memory found its way to the front of Troy's mind and he gave a small laugh. "You know, Chad gave me the hardest time about you. He went on and on, saying that I'd never gone crazy over a girl before you came to East High. He told me I'd been running away from my feelings… He told me I'd changed…" He suddenly grew very serious and paused, letting Gabriella's dark hair fall through his fingers and back into place. He looked down at her closed eyes, seeing nothing else but her as more memories flooded into his head.

"You told me, right after the championship game, that when you meet the person that's right for you, you feel something different from anything you've ever felt before." Troy said softly. "And that a new part of you would be set free in that first moment of meeting them… that's what I felt with you, up on that stage. I-I didn't even know your name, and yet I knew there was something between us - something bigger than just a happy coincidence. And I felt that new part of me, Gabriella… I felt it in my entire body, even though I didn't really know what it was yet."

Troy stopped again, sighing faintly as he drew his hand away from her hair, pushing back one last lock away from her face. "I don't know if you can say that that particular moment was the moment I fell in love with you, no matter how powerful that new feeling was. It was… I can't even describe what it was - like a… a sort of, _knowing_ - like I somehow _knew_ that that was the last night I'd ever be, 'Troy Bolton, star playmaker of East High,' and the first night I felt like… just, 'Troy Bolton.'"

He paused again, and scooted as close as he could to the couch, crossing his legs and smiling as he watched her rise and fall for a few more seconds. Then, he spoke again in the quietest tone he'd ever used - barely louder than a whisper.

"You did that for me, Gabriella. You made me feel like a regular guy, not seeing anything less than plain, 'Troy.' Not even my own family saw me like you did…" A powerful, painful sensation twisted in Troy's stomach at that moment, and a rock-hard lump rose in his throat so that his next words came out sounding strangled and emotional.

"You have no idea how much you mean to me." Troy choked out, trying not to let his tears threaten to show. "You really don't. I wish… I wish I could tell you how much I care about you, but the words just seem too small. There have been so many times where I look at you… I look at you, and - and I feel like everything inside of me is about to explode. I look at you, and I want to tell you all the things I wish I could put into words so that you'll truly understand what I feel every time you're with me. I look at you… and…"

Troy stopped for a second, trying to force down the growing mass in his throat and not having much success. He looked down, and missed the smallest shift in Gabriella's position.

"I wonder how I got so lucky, to be with someone so amazing and so…" Troy tried to find the word… the one word that would sum up everything that was Gabriella. And then he found it, realizing it was the very word he'd been using all evening.

"So… incredibly… perfect…" Troy said, keeping his head down. "I don't deserve you, and you could do _so_ much better than me… but I need you to know…" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Gabriella Montez… you are without a doubt the _best_ thing that's ever happened to me, and… I love you… _so_ much…" He finished in a voice that could barely be heard. He remained silent as he tightly squeezed his eyes shut, a thin line of moisture collecting on the bottom lids. He shook his head slightly, breathing out long and slow. After a moment, when he was sure that he'd regained composure, he lifted his head… and froze.

Gabriella was awake.

Troy's eyes grew wide with horror, wondering how much she'd heard. He didn't remember seeing any sign that suggested that Gabriella had woken up sometime during his little speech - she'd remained completely motionless the entire time…

But one look at Gabriella's now soft, shimmering brown eyes, and Troy knew that she'd never been asleep to begin with.

Hot, sick embarrassment took over Troy and made him turn the deepest shade of carmine red. His hands turned to ice and his back felt like it was on fire. He couldn't believe he'd said all of that in front of her. _To_ her…

They both remained completely silent, Gabriella still lying horizontal on the couch, and Troy sitting cross-legged on the floor, biting the inside of his bottom lip with his eyes closed, each second feeling like an hour to him. He didn't know what to do, or what to say, but soon realized that he couldn't avoid Gabriella for much longer. Almost frightened of seeing the look on her face, Troy slowly raised his head, feeling like his face was about to melt into a puddle of mortification. As his eyes met hers, his entire world was unexpectedly brought to a standstill for the second time that night.

Gabriella's eyes were staring into his so intently that Troy felt like she could see straight into his very soul. They were intense, but warm as well. Firelight swam in her unshed tears - tears Gabriella knew to be more overjoyed than she'd ever had a chance to experience, for that was exactly what she was feeling… happiness beyond compare. The mere strength of it was almost painful, but it was a pain that left her craving more. It was better than any drug, any high, any fix… better than anything she'd ever felt.

Rising in one slow, fluid motion, Gabriella lifted herself up and became vertical once more. Her eyes never left Troy's, nor did the small smile lifting her lips fade from her iridescent countenance. As they bore into Troy's blue orbs, the back of his neck tingled and quickly heightened as the trembling glow cast it's dim light onto Gabriella's face. As he saw her affectionate, tiny, unreadable smile directed straight at him, he suddenly felt his stomach lurch even more violently than before.

Gabriella silently took Troy's hands in hers, pulling him off the floor as she rose from the couch. Her hands held his so that they were the only things keeping their two bodies apart, and they held gazes for what felt like an eternity. Gabriella couldn't speak. Troy's words had touched her so deeply and held so much passion and truth that she was at a loss for anything that could come even remotely close to what she longed for Troy to know… the things she wanted to tell him too.

For now, however, words were not needed. As tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes, Gabriella reached out and gently cupped Troy's face in her palms, pleasant shivers shooting down her sides as she felt his hands lightly take hold of her waist. As she leaned in, her vision became cloudy and blurred, causing everything around her to turn into unclear shapes and colors that fused together as one. Gabriella neither noticed, nor cared.

She met his lips very softly, trying to channel all the love she felt for him in that single, sweet kiss. Her hands drifted to Troy's shoulders and she shivered again at his satisfying warmth. She couldn't possibly imagine herself loving him more than she was right now.

After a moment, they pulled back and held gazes again. Troy's heart pulsed much quicker now, but his embarrassment was gone. He gave Gabriella a tiny grin, and she returned it, moving closer to him. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head against his chest. She closed her eyes and sighed, her grin growing slightly as Troy embraced her as well.

Troy gently rested his head on top of Gabriella's and breathed in deeply, losing himself in her captivating scent. He wanted nothing more than to hold her forever - to just stay like this, holding the girl he cared about more than anything in the entire world, forever.

But as this passed through his mind, Troy smiled.

"_Forever,_" Troy thought, _"Just doesn't seem long enough…"_

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I'm soooooo sorry about not updating in a while. I don't really have a good excuse, except that I went to volleyball camp all last week and it drained me of my energy, so I didn't feel like writing too much. Just a warning, the next chapter probably won't show it's face for a while too. I haven't even written a rough draft yet. But I'll try to write more soon! Hope everyone liked the chapter, I worked especially hard on this one, so don't forget to review!


	22. State Championships

**Chapter 22: State Championships**

Two weeks passed, each day feeling like it lasted for only a few mere minutes. It was as if time no longer existed in days and nights, but by some new, unseen force that seemed to speed up every second for the students of East High. The entire school was simply buzzing with excitement for those fourteen days, discussing the two most important events of the year that had slowly crept closer and closer until finally, they were merely a week away from the other: The basketball state championships, and the winter musical.

Troy and Gabriella revealed nothing about their date to neither Taylor nor Chad. No matter how much they pleaded, the two of them would just smile and remain silent, sending Taylor and Chad into frenzies of frustration at being kept out of something so momentous and important. But Troy and Gabriella didn't care. What had happened on their date was between them, and they both felt that the things that had been said were much too personal for anyone else's ears to hear… even their two best friend's.

Despite the long, grueling practices for the musical and the reoccurring interference that was basketball training, Troy and Gabriella felt themselves grow even closer than before. True, Troy had only been able to attend four of the eight practices for the musical, and Gabriella found that their one-on-one lunch periods had become shorter and shorter, due to the fact that Troy's dad was working with him on new plays for most of the half hour they were given to eat. Phone calls stopped, but Gabriella knew how exhausted Troy was every day and decided that his justifications were excusable… for the time being. Troy felt a new anger at his father with each day he wasn't exempt from basketball to be with Gabriella for the musical, but held his temper with extreme difficulty. He'd never looked forward to the end of a basketball season until now.

But despite the unbearable time apart from each other, Troy and Gabriella had never felt more connected. It would undoubtedly seem complicated to any other person - but to them, everything was crystal clear. Gabriella _did_ miss talking to Troy like she used to terribly, and it hurt inside to wonder if he would be coming to practice with her after school and then realize with a heavy heart that basketball had already claimed him. And Troy wanted nothing more than to screw basketball and the state championships so he could spend any extra moment devoted to Gabriella and the musical, but was then hurled into irritated paroxysms when he knew he had to stay in the gym with the rest of his team, feeling like a caged animal desperate to break through the bars.

But when they_ were_ together, even for the briefest of moments… it was nothing short of magic. Every morning they would share a gentle, wordless kiss, temporarily lost in the other until the first bell rudely broke them apart and sent them running to class. From across a room, Troy would glance up from his desk and become distracted as he watched Gabriella work, and then shyly avert his gaze when his eyes met hers, a soft blush creeping down her cheeks with an evidently pleased glow. After each class they would walk together hand in hand, Troy whispering in Gabriella's ear, making her giggle and hold his hand tighter. They would talk and laugh and kid around with Chad and Taylor, but there were special moments where they would just look at each other - just _look_, and they knew what memory they were both revisiting.

Gabriella hadn't brought up Troy's touching speech since the night it was first recited, and Troy followed her lead. It was one of those incredible events in life that didn't need to be mentioned around the person you shared it with, because somehow, you knew that that person was already thinking about it too. And when this occurred, all of the world seemed to freeze on it's axis and there was no on else but Troy and Gabriella. It was so hard for either one of them to explain these moments to anyone who might've asked, and truthfully, all that really mattered was that they knew the other felt the same vibrant emotions when their eyes locked. That was enough.

After what felt like years rather than months, the advent of the day the East High Wildcats had been waiting to come upon them with eager hearts and determined spirits finally arrived… State Championships. The day before, Coach Bolton had given the team a long motivational speech instead of practice, (much to the relief of the team) intent on getting them inspired for the biggest game they'd ever had a chance to be a part of. It worked, and Troy and his teammates became so fired up that most of them had a tough time trying to get to sleep that night, excitement whirring through their minds in anticipation of the following day.

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Troy tossed and turned in his bed as he forced himself to keep his eyes shut, tiny white lights flickering underneath his eyelids. He opened one eye a sliver and looked at his clock, reading 12:49pm. He would have to wake up in a few hours, and knew his dad wouldn't be happy if he found out that his star player hadn't slept for more than five hours the night before state championships. So, very reluctantly, Troy shut his eyes once more and rolled over on his back, taking his arms out from underneath his blanket and placing them on both sides of his body as he willed himself to sleep.

He began to dream of a gymnasium, filled to it's capacity with people cheering and waving poster-board signs that bore his name and jersey number in bright red letters. He was running down the basketball court, dribbling the ball as fast as he possibly could and hoping he could get to the basket in time. As he dodged rival players, he briefly noticed significant individuals standing in a line from where he stood to the net. His father, his mother, Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Jason, Mrs. Darbus, Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, all of them were cheering, urging him to hurry before the buzzer beat him. Troy dodged to his right and ran faster, hearing the crowd begin the countdown.

"FIVE, FOUR - "

He had to make it, he just had to… He ran forward the last few feet and took aim.

"THREE, TWO, ONE - "

Troy took the shot and watched it fall into the net just as the buzzer rang and the crowd went wild. But Troy didn't pay them any attention. He was now looking at Gabriella, who was standing directly underneath the basketball net dressed in her winter formal dress and a beaming smile on her face. She ran towards him, taking his hands and giving him a kiss as the crowd's cheers faded into the background. Suddenly, it was just the two of them standing on a dimly-lit stage, a moon and star hanging overhead as soft piano music began to play.

In his sleep, Troy smiled.

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Gabriella sleepily stepped out of her red SUV and shut the door behind her, yawning as she leaned her back against it with closed eyes. She hated getting up early. To Gabriella, 'early' was the enemy, and her soft bed was her close and dear friend. If she could have her way, she'd be home right now, fast asleep with the covers over her head and immersed in dreams she didn't want to end. But no… she was here at school, at five-thirty in the morning… for basketball.

_If this thing could've started, like, four hours later, I'd be ok with it. _Gabriella thought to herself grumpily as she began to walk over to the sidewalk where a large charter bus was parked. She immediately saw Troy and went to meet him, unable to walk any faster than she was already going. Troy saw her too and gave her a wide smile, quickly reminded of his dream.

"Wow, remind me not to plan any early-morning dates in the future." He said jokingly as Gabriella came closer.

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh." Gabriella said with an austere grin, letting her purse fall limply to her side. "Waking up at five thirty in the morning for a nine o' clock championship… are they crazy?"

"Oh, they must be." Troy said as he held out his arms, inviting her in.

Gabriella gratefully did so and laid her head on his shoulder. "There's no sun…" She whimpered.

"Well, he'll be up soon too." Troy said with a sympathetic tone that clearly made him sound more amused than anything else.

Gabriella lifted her head and looked him in the eye, crossing her arms indignantly. "You'd better be grateful that I'm here, Troy Bolton, because you're the only person I'd ever do this for."

Troy put his hands on Gabriella's waist and pulled her back to him, smiling that adorable Troy-smile Gabriella couldn't resist. "I'm honored." Troy said as his charming grin turned into a full-on smirk. Gabriella rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling too. She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss, still too tired to put any enthusiasm in her actions. Troy understood this and pecked her forehead, putting one arm around her shoulders as he led her to the bus doors.

Most of the team was already on board, very few looking any more awake than Gabriella. Zeke and Jason muttered a 'hey' as they passed by their seats, but Gabriella could only manage a half-wave in return. She followed Troy to the very back of the bus where she could see Chad's bushy head of hair above everyone else's. As they got closer, Gabriella saw Taylor sitting next to Chad with her head on his shoulder, eyes closed. Obviously, she wasn't a morning person either. Troy slid into the seat next to them and Gabriella plopped beside him, laying her head against the back of the plush-like chairs. Taylor opened her eyes at the rustling movement and looked at Gabriella.

"I. Hate. Basketball." Taylor said crossly. She lifted her head off Chad's shoulder and lightly punched him, her grogginess keeping her from hitting him harder than she would've liked to. "And I hate you for playing basketball." She added as her head crashed back against her seat. She turned slightly so that she was facing Gabriella. "Why are we here again?"

Gabriella smiled. "Because we love our boyfriends." She simply replied.

Taylor yawned widely and nodded. "Oh, yeah…" And with that, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Chad looked at Troy and smirked.

"She's a little cranky in the morning." Chad unnecessarily explained.

"I hadn't noticed." Troy said sarcastically. Before they could say anything else, Troy's father entered the bus and stood at the very front, hunched over with his hands on the first two seats with a stony expression on his face. Everyone immediately stopped talking and the ones who'd been sleeping were jostled awake by their seat-mates, motioning to them that their coach was about to speak.

Coach Bolton's eyes slowly traveled down the bus and stared down each of his players for a few nerve-wracking seconds. His gaze lingered on Troy the longest, giving him the tiniest of nods before speaking.

"Two months ago, we played the West High Knights for school championships… and we won." He paused, his eyes traveling down the many rows once again. "Who's to say we can't do it again?" He said, his voice raising with each word.

"What team?" Chad suddenly yelled. Taylor awoke with a start and bolted upright, frightened beyond words.

"Wildcats!" The team roared.

"What team?"

"Wildcats!"

"What team?"

"Wildcats!"

"Wildcats -"

"GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!"

The bus was filled with loud cheering and whooping as the engine started and Troy's father sat down with satisfaction as he began to talk to the assistant coach. As the bus began to move out of the school parking lot and down the road, Taylor turned and looked at Chad acrimoniously, annoyed that he'd woken her up so abruptly. Chad gave her a sheepish smile.

"Sorry…" He said softly, cowering a little at her withering stare.

"Sorry… Yeah, I know you are." Taylor said coldly. And with that, she punched him again, this time with more force than before. Chad winced and rubbed his shoulder as Gabriella and Troy laughed.

After a few minutes, Gabriella found herself yawning again and her head filled with thoughts of her comfy pillows and soft, downy blanket. She wished she could crawl into them right now…

Troy looked over at her and grinned, putting his arm around her shoulder and shaking her gently. "Don't sleep." He said playfully.

"I'm not asleep…" Gabriella said, turning her head to face him and opening her eyes widely so that she looked like an owl. "See?"

Troy chuckled. "Oh yeah, that's convincing."

Gabriella gave him a look and smiled. "I promise I'll stay awake."

Troy raised his eyebrows at her in disbelief. "Ok, if you say so…"

Gabriella gave him a small shove. "I will!"

"Whatever you say…" Troy said again with a casual air. He pulled her closer and Gabriella happily let him, leaning her head in the crook of his neck as a smile passed across her lips. She placed her hand on his opposite shoulder and let her arm dangle loosely. Her other hand found Troy's and she gently took it in her own, feeling their pulses combine. It was an oddly comforting sensation.

She sighed, and her breath tickled Troy's neck, making him shiver. She remained silent, and Troy spoke again.

"Gabriella… don't sleep…" He said softly.

"I'm not asleep…" Gabriella replied in an almost inaudible voice, keeping her eyes shut. She was so warm… She was suddenly very happy that she was stuck on a three-hour bus ride, rather than sleeping soundly at home.

"I'm going to stay awake, Troy…" Gabriella murmured quietly, shifting her body closer to him.

Troy smiled and kissed the side of her head, squeezing her hand for a moment. "I'll wake you up when we get there."

Gabriella felt a small grin form, and she felt a strong wave of gratitude towards Troy. "Ok…" She whispered. And with that, she didn't utter another word.

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Three hours later, the bus came to a stop outside a very large brick school. It had the same structure pattern as East High, but had an extra floor that made it tower above everyone like a miniature, horizontal skyscraper. Already, a long line of people could be seen heading into the separate gymnasium, most of which were from West High. Troy grew a little nervous, and began to wonder how many people from his own school had decided to show up.

Before he could propose this question to Chad, his father stood up again and began to shout orders to the team.

"Ok, we have exactly half an hour to stretch and do a couple warm-up drills before the game starts. I want everyone to change _as quickly as possible_. Do not waste time. I was hoping we'd be here a little earlier, but since we're not, we'll just have to make do with the time we have. Locker room is down the hall, first door to your left. Let's go, Wildcats!"

The team cheered enthusiastically and began to squeeze their way down to the door all at once, cramming the tiny aisle. Troy and Gabriella remained seated, waiting until there was more room to move and took their chance when it came upon them. Once they'd gotten out of the bus and had entered the West High gym, Troy paused as he watched the rest of his teammates head towards the locker room as instructed. His eyes glanced around in amazement, shocked at how huge this gym was. It was at least twice as big as East High's… and had many more seats.

"Troy?" Gabriella's voice sounded from what seemed like miles away.

Troy continued to scan the large crowds of people, searching for anyone he knew, even if it was just by face.

"Troy, are you ok?" Gabriella asked with concern, turning his head to look at her.

"Huh?" Troy said stupidly. "Oh, yeah… I'm fine."

Gabriella gave him a suspicious look and nodded slowly. "Ok… well, Taylor and I are gonna go find some good seats before the place fills up. Are you _sure_ you're ok?" She asked again, searching his face for the answers he wasn't giving.

Troy forced a smile and nodded. "Yeah! Don't worry about me, it's just… pre-game jitters."

"Pre-game jitters?" Gabriella said with a little laugh. "You sang on stage in front of half the school with me. I think you'll be able to handle another basketball game."

Troy swallowed uneasily. "Y-yeah, of course I can."

Gabriella smiled warmly and placed her hands on his shoulders, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. "Good luck." She said with a wave before disappearing into the crowd after Taylor and out of sight.

Troy watched the place where she'd vanished for a moment, a strange and entirely unusual weight churning about in his stomach. He pivoted in his place and started to walk to the locker room, each step making his stomach queasier than before. He looked up at the crowd again and with a terrified jolt, saw that the influx of people had seemed to double in size.

_I'm going to need all the luck I can get…_ Troy thought to himself anxiously. He pushed open the locker room door, meeting the commotion of eleven teenage boys rushing about and trying to get into their uniform's as quickly as possible. As the door closed behind him and Troy tried to quell his nerves, it finally hit him that they were really here… state championships.

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"Wildcats, huddle up!" Troy's dad yelled to his team as he nervously paced back and forth, clenching his clipboard so tight that it was beginning to dig into his palms. He released his grip a little and stopped pacing as the team formed a half-circle around him, waiting for their usual pep talk with keen, anticipating eyes. He hunched forward and leaned on his knees, eyes hard and unblinking.

"Before I say anything else," He started. "I just want to let everyone know how proud I am of this team and all we've accomplished this season. Every person that's standing here has contributed hours and hours of blood, sweat… and sacrifice." He directed his gaze to Troy when he said this last statement, and he knew what sacrifices his father was referring to.

"But now, today is the day you decide if it was all worth it. Was it worth making your muscles ache and throb after each practice until you lost feeling in your limbs altogether? Was it worth the extra hours of passing and shooting and running till you felt like you would drop dead? Was it worth the extended time away from family… and loved ones?" Again, his gaze went to Troy.

"You alone decide if you're going to play to your limits out on that court and give it your absolute all… or sit on the bench and know inside that all your hard work these past months was for nothing. So tell me… _who wants to give me all you've got?_" He yelled.

"WE DO!" The team roared.

"Who wants to get out there and play like champions?"

"WE DO!" They yelled even louder.

"And who wants to end this season with a trophy in their arms with the words 'East High, State Champions' on it?"

"WE DO!"

"WHAT TEAM?" Chad bellowed.

"WILDCATS!"

"WHAT TEAM?"

"WILDCATS"

"WHAT TEAM?"

"WILDCATS!"

"WILDCATS!"

"GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!"

The buzzer went off, and the Wildcats ran onto the court to guard their specific rival players, each one looking more focused than ever. This was the day they'd been preparing for.

Troy felt his nerves grow slightly larger as he approached the player he was to guard, waiting for the buzzer to go off again and start the game. He was tall and had dark, shaggy hair that fell into his eyes like a sheepdog's, and very brown eyes which were the most prominent features on his pastel-like face. As Troy waited, the West High player gave him a grim smile.

"Good luck, Bolton." He said in a deep voice.

Troy glanced at him before looking back at the ref. "Same to you."

"You been training since last time?" He asked casually.

Troy nodded, not giving a reply.

The West High boy smiled with a sly sort of manner. "So have we."

The buzzer sounded, and Troy immediately jumped into an open space as Chad tipped the ball. Troy caught it in midair and began to run, dribbling as he went. He could hear the announcer's booming voice over the sound system as he ran, but he hardly paid any attention. A gangly boy with bleach-blond hair was beginning to advance on him, and Troy saw that two other West High boys were closing in on his other side. Glancing to his right, Troy saw Chad, wide open. He threw the ball over his head in his direction, watching it bounce once before Chad caught it and began to make his way towards the net. The players that had been tailing Troy instantaneously went for Chad.

They weren't fast enough. A large amount of cheers erupted as Chad made a two-point shot, and Troy's head wheeled around to face the crowd. He could now clearly see which side was for East High, and which was for West. To his immense relief, the two sides were fairly even.

Troy's attention was thrust back into the game as he saw the dark-haired boy he was supposed to be guarding run down the court with the ball. Troy took off after him, dodging other players as he went with quick, deft movements. Just as the ball left his fingertips, Troy launched himself in front of him and smacked the ball in the opposite direction, where Zeke picked it up and began to run. Troy fell with a loud 'thud' as he lost his balance and groaned as he hit the hard floor, knowing he'd be waking up with a fairly large bruise come tomorrow morning.

The West High player offered his hand to Troy and he willingly took it, slightly surprised that he would do such a thing.

"Thanks." Troy said shortly before running off. The crowd cheered again as Zeke made a basket, and Troy took a quick look at the scoreboard. Three-Zero, East High.

_We might actually win if we keep this up!_ Troy thought to himself as a rush of excitement surged through his body. And with that streak of confidence, Troy made himself open and prepared himself for the next ball destined to come his way.

--------------------------------------------------------

About an hour later, Troy stumbled languidly to an empty bleacher on the East High side of the gym and collapsed onto it, turning sideways and letting his back hit the cold wood with a sigh. It was the end of the second quarter, and both teams were given a fifteen-minute break before the game resumed play. Troy needed every second to rest - he'd been running back and forth from one end of the court to the other for practically the entire game, trying to block his rival player whenever the ball was passed to him. He'd only been able to hit the ball away from him once more, and this time he hadn't looked as impressed (or pleased), and Troy knew he wasn't likely to get any more compliments from him now.

His vision was suddenly obstructed by a mass of thick, curly hair and Gabriella's face came into view.

"Hey!" She said brightly. "I thought you'd want this," She handed Troy a large bottle of water, which he gratefully accepted as he sat up in a sitting position. He took a long gulp, and when the bottle left his lips, almost a quarter of its contents were gone.

"Thank you." Troy said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Gabriella beamed back at him.

"You were so amazing out there!" Gabriella said enthusiastically, taking a seat. "I now understand why you and Chad love it so much! Taylor and I were talking, and although neither of us had any clue what was going on, I'll admit that it _does_ look pretty fun."

Troy grinned after he'd taken another sip of his water. "Oh? Does the brain of East High want to stray into the dark corner that is… the jocks?" He asked with a fake accent on the last two words. Gabriella laughed and used her hand to push him playfully.

"Not necessarily," She said. "But… I _would_ like to learn a few things." She raised her eyes to look at him and gave him a puppy-dog pout, making Troy laugh.

"Ok, you know I can't resist the puppy face!" He said as he tickled her for a moment. Once she'd stopped laughing, he snaked his arm around her waist and gave it a short squeeze. "I promise, after all this is over, along with the musical, I'll teach you how to play basketball."

Gabriella smiled and leaned into his shoulder, closing her eyes. "I'd like that."

"Troy, get over here! We need the whole team listening!" Troy's dad called from the side, beckoning him to hurry up.

Troy sighed, and unwillingly removed his arm from Gabriella. He gave her an apologetic smile, which she returned half-heartedly as he stood up to go.

"I'll see you after the game." He said, turning towards the team.

"Hey, Troy -" Gabriella called out before he could move. He turned to look at her again, and Gabriella gave him an enticing little grin.

"How's that luck holding out for ya?" She asked calmly, pretending to examine the fingernails on her right hand while the other casually held her body up as it leaned on the bleacher.

Troy grinned. "Pretty well… but I believe you can never have too much luck in times like these." He replied, masquerading his words as nonchalant.

Gabriella raised herself out of her seat and slowly approached him, smiling in a sly sort of way. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she kissed him, but this time it was a little longer than her previous one, therefore much harder for Troy to make himself break it. When they did, Troy found himself adding this particular moment to his growing list of reasons why he could not wait for basketball to be over.

"You know, I believe in that too…" Gabriella said with what looked like a mix between a grin and a smirk. Tilting her head to the side, she gently pushed him in the chest with her pointer finger. "Go. Your team needs you." And then, she walked away from him in the direction of her seat, knowing full-well that his eyes were still following from behind.

Just as she was about to make her way up the steps to Taylor, Gabriella felt a familiar sensation fill her from her head to her toes - a sensation she hadn't experienced in months. Stopping where she was, she turned in a circle and glanced in all directions, feeling a modicum of apprehension worm its way into the pit of her stomach. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what she was feeling, but somehow knew it wasn't a good thing. It was like… like she was being watched…

"Gabriella, up here!" Taylor called, thinking her friend had forgotten where they were sitting.

Gabriella's head snapped up towards the voice and she tried to force a smile as she nodded back. Looking around again, she tried to find something out of the ordinary that might be the source of her discomfort. When she found none, Gabriella went up the stairs towards Taylor, each step a little quicker than the last. Something didn't feel right, no matter how normal her surroundings appeared to be.

"You ok?" Taylor asked as Gabriella sat down next to her.

She looked up for a brief moment and nodded, giving her another forced smile. "Yeah, I'm great. Just, uh… a little hungry, that's all."

"Oh, well," Taylor said, reaching underneath her seat. "Here, I got us some chips while you were down with Troy. Salt and Vinegar, or Barbeque?" She asked as she held up the choices.

Gabriella gave them a quick glance. "Barbeque." She muttered, not really caring what she got. That unsettled feeling was still irking her, like a vague, impending warning.

As Taylor handed her the bag of chips, another buzzer sounded and the players rushed back onto the court, now a little more rested and energized. Gabriella watched as Troy ran to cover his player, but was only half paying attention. She turned around in her seat and scanned the rows of people behind her, not altogether sure who she was looking for.

The East High side cheered loudly again, and Taylor faced Gabriella with a confused look. "What are you doing? You just missed Troy's three-pointer." She said, pointing towards the game.

Gabriella's head twisted around. "I did?"

"Yeah…" Taylor said slowly. "You better pay attention, girl. We didn't wake up at five in the morning to look at the wall."

Gabriella's shoulders slumped with disappointment at not getting to see Troy's shot. "I know, I just got distracted."

Taylor chuckled. "I thought Troy _was_ your major distraction?"

Gabriella didn't reply, still feeling a little restive about her aforementioned anxiety. As West High made their first basket of the game, Gabriella tried to remember when she'd last felt like this. So worried… scared…

Trapped.

--------------------------------------------------------

The end of the fourth quarter was drawing near, with only two minutes left in the game. The score was seventy-four, seventy, and the Wildcats were starting to drown. Already, two of their players had fallen due to injury, while the remainder of the team's energy was fading. Troy's father watched his team struggle to keep up with West High, wondering to himself how much longer they'd be able to hold out.

Troy breathed heavily, leaning forward on his knees as the referee called a time-out. That West High Knight wasn't kidding… they'd definitely been training since last time. He'd been running constantly, never stopping, one thought on his mind: getting the ball. It was his only goal, his only aspiration, his only objective. Unfortunately, this proved to be more arduous than he'd thought, as the West High players very inconveniently got in his way numerous times in the last forty-five minutes. Ironically, however, it was Troy who'd been making a fair amount of shots for the team. Apparently, his teammates hadn't forgotten how good a player he was and were taking any chance they got to pass the ball to him instead of attempting to get past the Knights themselves. So, of course, Troy was beginning to feel an incredible deluge of exhaustion.

He ambled over to the line of chairs where his team was sitting, looking almost as worn out as Troy, and dropped into the nearest seat. He pulled out his coveted water bottle and took another long swallow, licking his dry lips and wiping the sweat from his face. His head was throbbing painfully and white lights flickered every time he moved, a sure sign of dehydration. But he couldn't quit… not now.

Coach Bolton paced back and forth down the line of players, nodding at their half-full cups of water. "Good, keep drinking. We can't have you collapsing out there. Drink lots of water…" It was obvious that he was nervous, but no one jumped up to relieve him of his worries. Everyone was feeling the pressure now.

The buzzer rang in it's orotund tone again, and the team very reluctantly left their seats, putting their sacred cups of water underneath them with care. As they took their places, the ball resumed play. A thin boy half Troy's size but with Chad's head of hair passed to another Knight, but was intercepted by Zeke, who passed to Chad, who made a two-point shot, earning him a riotous outbreak of cheers from the crowd. East High was now only two points behind.

Troy took a nervous glance at the clock and saw that they only had thirty seconds left in the game, and they needed to make at least three more points to win. He looked away and saw Jason with the ball, trying to find an open player. Troy ran behind three West High's, barely making a noise and waved his arms to Jason. Before anyone could yell to cover him, Jason threw the ball and Troy caught it, bounding off in the opposite direction as the crowd cheered even louder.

Fifteen seconds left.

Troy stopped as two extremely tall Knights accelerated towards him, arms outstretched so as to make it difficult for him to find an open space to pass. Thinking quickly, Troy dribbled once and faked right, breaking left as the opposing players went to nab the ball in the wrong direction.

Thankfully, Zeke was there to get the ball. He ran with it a few yards and passed to another player named Mark, who nearly lost the ball to West High before passing to Chad.

Chad was completely surrounded. At least four West High Knights towered over him threateningly, blocking him so that Troy couldn't even see his bushy hair sticking out. Chad clutched the ball for dear life, anxiously searching for an opening. Then, he did the only thing he could think of, and threw the ball with all his might between the legs of an unsuspecting Knight, catching all four of them completely off guard. It went straight to Troy.

Ten seconds.

Without a second thought, Troy tore down the court, weaving in and out between players, running faster than he'd ever run. His legs were burning and his eyes streaming, but he didn't care. He had to get to that basket.

Five seconds.

He was nearly there - just a little further…

Three seconds.

He quickly took aim, thrust the ball into the air, and watched it soar into the basket just as the buzzer rang, the entire East High side of the gym erupting in wild, obstreperous pandemonium and the basketball team jumping up and down, forgetting their own aches and sore muscles. Troy stood for a moment, stunned beyond belief. They'd won. They'd won _state championships_. The team surrounded Troy, lifting him up onto their shoulders as Chad clapped his back repeatedly.

"WHAT TEAM?" Chad yelled, his voice growing hoarse.

"WILDCATS!" The team yelled in return, continuing to cheer for Troy. As Troy looked out to the crowd, his father came running up with a large trophy in his hands, tears running down his face in elation. He handed it to Troy with a huge smile, never feeling more proud of his team than at that moment.

Troy motioned to be let down and handed someone the trophy, where most of the team stood to admire it with gleaming eyes. Troy turned around again, facing the crowd. He scanned the hordes of people, his excitement barely contained, until he saw her. Ignoring the shouts of his teammates, Troy took off in the opposite direction away from the court. He had much more important matters to attend to now.

From behind, Troy squeezed Gabriella's shoulders, causing her to turn around quickly with a glint of fear in her eyes until she saw who it was. Before she could speak, Troy put his finger over her mouth and silenced her.

"Come with me," He said quickly, taking her hand in his and leading her through the crowd.

Gabriella followed, apologizing as she bumped into others passing by. "Troy, where - " He couldn't hear her, so Gabriella didn't try to make herself heard and let him pull her along. They got out of the crowd much faster than she expected, due to the fact that they'd basically plowed their way through. Once they were free of people, Gabriella tried again.

"Troy - "

"Just wait, I need to get out of here." Troy said between breaths as he thrust open the front doors of the gym and ran down the sidewalk, Gabriella trying to keep up. Troy turned sharply and made his way to the charter bus, slowing down as they reached their destination.

"Troy, what are we - " For the third time in those few minutes, Gabriella was interrupted. This time, however, it was an interruption she didn't mind. Troy had placed one hand on her waist, holding it gently, while his other hand buried into her soft hair - her beautiful, wonderful hair. Every single one of Gabriella's features seemed to appear a hundred times more stunning, making Troy's insides go crazy. He gave her a passionate kiss, making Gabriella melt as she returned it. Her arms wove around his neck as her heart began to beat faster and faster. When they pulled away, Gabriella felt her knees form into jello, and was surprised that they were still holding her up. He'd never kissed her like that before…

"What was… uh…" Gabriella stuttered, now feeling lightheaded. "W-what was that for?" She asked shakily, placing some of her weight on Troy.

Troy grinned and lifted her up, spinning her around in circles. His heart felt like air as he heard her laugh - her lovely, mellifluous laugh…

"I'm just so happy -" Troy said, placing her back on the ground after a few spins. He cupped her face in his palms and felt his grin widen. "Gabby, do you know what this means?"

Gabriella placed her hands on Troy's wrists and shook her head, still not sure if she'd recovered from that last kiss.

Troy moved closer, excitement and joy mixing together with happiness and bliss, creating the perfect emotion. "It means," He began softly. "That I'm _done_. No more basketball. No more practice. No more wasted hours in that damn gym. We can focus on the musical now, and more importantly, _us._ Gabby, we can spend time together now - time that doesn't have to be limited or scheduled." He took her hands in his own before he spoke again.

"I don't think I've ever been happier about anything else." He said, staring into her deep brown eyes. He felt like the luckiest guy in the universe.

Gabriella smiled at him as the full meaning of what he was trying to say sank in. She moved closer until their lips were just inches away. "Me neither." She whispered, and it was the truth. Wrapping her arms around him again, they shared another tender kiss.

But before they could fully enjoy it…

"Awww, how cute. I wish I'd brought my camera."

Gabriella was the first to open her eyes and pull away, and when she did, she thought her heart had stopped right then and there. She gasped loudly, gripping Troy's arm as he too turned around to see who had spoken. It was a face he hadn't seen in months - a face he thought he'd never have to see again, nor wanted to see again. A face that brought him so much anger, it made him shake with pure fury.

The face of none other than Vince Harper.

His hair was long and untidy, like it hadn't been washed or brushed in days, and he looked like he'd lost at least twenty pounds since Troy and Gabriella had last seen him. Oh, Troy remembered. He recalled the moment he'd walked into the gym after practice, looking for his bag, and instead finding Vince forcing himself on a struggling Gabriella. Just remembering the look of terror on her face made Troy's blood boil. Gabriella, of course, remembered that day even more.

"You." Troy said softly, his rage building with each second.

Vince gave him a little smile. "Me." He said. "I'll bet you two never thought you'd see me again…"

Troy fought to speak, still shaking furiously. He could feel Gabriella shiver behind him and he took her hand in his.

How could he possibly be here? What did he want now? Why wouldn't he just go away and leave them alone? These questions and many more spun around and around in Gabriella's mind, filling her with new fear. It was almost too unbelievable that Vince Harper, the psychotic boy who'd tried to rape Gabriella, was actually standing in front of her right now. It was like she'd walked back into an old nightmare.

Vince's hands were clasped behind his back in a casual manner and he looked oddly calm, as if he'd forgotten about what had happened between he and Gabriella months ago… but Troy hadn't. He'd _never_ forget.

"Who the _hell_ do you think you are to have the nerve to even come anywhere _near_ us after what you did?" Troy said vehemently, glaring at him with the deepest look of loathing.

Vince smirked, his now spindly body shifting a little. "You'll never guess what's been going on in my life since we last met, Bolton." He said, changing the subject as he took a step forward. "You know my father? The one who left me and my mom? Well… he came back. Said he wanted to make up for all the years he'd been gone." He took another step forward and Troy could hear him clearing his throat.

"You know what happened the night he came back? Shot my mother, right in front of me. Then he killed himself too." Vince began to walk backwards now, until he was a little under fifteen feet away. "My mom was the only person who gave a damn about me - the only one who loved me… and now she's dead." Then, he pulled his hands away from his back… and revealed a shotgun.

"You took away the last person I thought could care about me, Bolton." Vince said, rubbing his fingers over the shiny metal. "I haven't forgotten."

Troy froze, and Gabriella gasped again, clutching Troy's hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her breaths came out shaky and uneven, fear taking over every inch of her body.

Troy swallowed, his arms and legs paralyzed with terror. But still, despite his fear, there was something more important. Very, very slowly, he put his entire body in front of Gabriella, shielding her from view. Her heart leaped with overwhelming love for Troy as he did this, unable to find the words that could fully express just how moved she was.

"I guess that old saying is true," Vince said softly, his other hand tightening into a fist at his side. "The apple really doesn't fall too far from the tree."

Troy remained silent, afraid that anything he said would provoke Vince to do the unthinkable.

A soft click was heard, and Gabriella knew that Vince had loaded the gun.

"If you don't want her to get hurt, then move." Vince said as he pointed the gun at Gabriella.

"No! No, don't hurt her! Don't hurt her!" Troy said in a panicked tone, his eyes growing wide with fear. "Please, just don't hurt her!"

"Then _move…_" Vince said coldly, now pointing the gun at Troy.

Troy felt his heart skip a beat, knowing he had no alternative. Too scared to turn his head to look at Gabriella for what could very well be the last time, he lifted the hand that held hers and turned it over, kissing the top of it with warm, gentle lips. He heard her sob behind him, and his heart broke in a million pieces. He took a step forward, and let her hand drop, knowing he was walking to his imminent doom.

"Troy - Troy, please, don't - " Gabriella whispered fervently, her eyes growing wet with frightened tears as she begged him to stop - to turn back around and take her hand. If they had to die, she wanted them to die together.

"Vince…" Troy said, standing completely still. "You don't want to do this. Think of all the people you'll be hurting. Don't… don't be like your father."

Vince's face crumpled for a moment and Troy thought he'd gotten through to him… but then, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Troy." He said as a tear fell down his cheek as he gasped for a breath. "But I already am."

He pulled the trigger, and time stood still for Gabriella as the bullet left the gun and hit Troy in the side, making him stagger backwards a few steps and then collapse to his knees, a horrible retching sound coming from his throat. A second later, another shot was fired and Vince's body crashed to the ground, dead.

Gabriella was so shocked and terrified that she couldn't move. She began to shake as her breaths came out short and uneven, and then… everything hit her like a ton of bricks.

She screamed, sinking to her knees and tears leaving her eyes, making the world a chaotic blur. Crowds of people rushed over, including the entire basketball team and Taylor, gasping at the sight before them. Several people called 911, confusion and madness erupting from all angles.

Gabriella ignored the cries of her friends and stared at Troy, who's eyes were barely half-open as his breaths became shorter and shorter. She fell beside him, ignoring the pool of blood and placing her hands on his face. She began to judder violently, her hands turning to ice.

"Troy! Stay awake! Stay awake - " Gabriella yelled, the feeling of her warm tears on her frozen face making her shiver all the more. "Stay awake!"

_Stay awake…_ A whisper echoed in Troy's mind, his focus spinning in and out. Everything sounded fuzzy, like someone had placed earmuffs over his head. A horrible, agonizing pain…

_Stay awake… _The whisper was becoming fainter. He saw his father and Chad standing overtop of him… more swirling color…

Gabriella…

_Stay awake…_

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Ok, first of all, TROY IS NOT DEAD... yet.

Second of all: Oh my goodness, I can't believe I got 31 reviews for my last chapter. That is the most I've ever gotton. You have no idea how happy I was. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it meant the world to me!

Third of all: I know a bunch of you are going to be mad at me for shooting Troy, but I needed to do this. Why? Well, you'll find out. It ties everything together. You'll see... Someone (I don't remember exactly who) reviewed all the way back in chapter 3 asked me if I'd be bringing Vince back into the story, and that was when I decided to dig him up again for this chapter. So, I thank whoever asked me that, because without that review, I probably wouldn't have come up with the ending of my fanfic (which is unfortunaetly going to be pretty soon.) So, since I got 31 reviews last chapter, I'm expecting my inbox to be full of just as many lovely reviews for this chapter! I'll update soon!


	23. Angel, I Hear You

**Chapter 23: Angel, I Hear You…**

"What the hell is taking them so long?" Jack Bolton hissed as he paced back and forth in front of the row of creamy-white hospital seats, their occupants watching him. "They've been hours. Shouldn't we have heard something by now?" He angrily wheeled around in the opposite direction and continued to pace, frustration pulsing in his veins. He wanted to know what was happening to his son, and he wanted to know _now_.

A petite brunette with tired eyes reached for her husband's hand and took it firmly. "They'll come to us with news when they're finished operating. Until then, sit _down_ Jack, and stop pacing! You're just making us even more nervous." She pulled him towards the empty seat next to her and forced him into it, shooting him an annoyed glance before leaning against her chair and sighing. Truth be told, she was just as anxious as her husband.

Jack sighed as well and rubbed his neck with one hand while clenching the other in a tight fist. "I know, but I - " But exactly what he was about to say next lost to him at that moment, too engrossed with reoccurring thoughts of his son lying on an operating table - unconscious and limp. His stomach turned uncomfortably and he remained silent, unable to think of anything else to say.

Chad, Taylor, Zeke, and Jason were sitting as well - none of them speaking to each other and staring straight ahead with blank looks on their faces, their own personal thoughts spinning in their heads like raging tornado's. Every once in awhile, one of them would glance at the clock on the wall - wondering if an hour's time had doubled without them knowing it. It sure felt that way…

Chad's hands were folded and he rested his head on them wearily, still in his basketball uniform. He wished he would've thought to put on a sweater - just being here made him shiver with the daunting anticipation of hearing news on Troy. It must've been at least three or four hours since the doctors had rushed him into the emergency room - maybe longer. He didn't know for sure…

Chad tried with all his might to stop revisiting that scene in his head… Troy, lying on the black pavement, blood everywhere. Barely awake, but still alive. Chad winced as he wondered how much pain Troy had felt, and then changed his mind, deciding he really didn't want to know. What he wanted was for a doctor to come over, give them a beaming smile, and tell them Troy was going to be just fine.

Suddenly, everyone was shaken from their trances as a high, shrill voice echoed down the hospital corridor.

"I really don't understand why this is such a huge problem. All I want to know is what room Troy Bolton is in!" The piercing voice said with a commanding air. All six of them leaned forward, searching for the voice. Almost immediately after doing so, Sharpay Evans herself came traipsing down the hallway after a short nurse who looked very eager to get away from the little blonde.

"Miss, Troy Bolton is being operated on as we speak, and has not been assigned to a room as of right now." The nurse said in a somewhat irate tone as she picked up her pace.

"But I have another question -" Sharpay responded, trying to catch up. "I'm looking for a friend of mine who is undoubtedly here, waiting for Troy to get out of surgery. Now, it's very important that I find her, because -" She stopped in her tracks as she looked over to the waiting room, seeing six pairs of eyes staring back at her. She turned back to the nurse.

"Never mind." She said distractedly, rushing over to them. The nurse rolled her eyes and quickly went on her way, hoping that she wouldn't have to deal with that girl again.

Sharpay walked over to Taylor and the others, concern evident in her light brown eyes. "How is he? Has anyone heard anything?"

"Why? Waiting for the first opportunity to snatch him up again?" Taylor asked with a cold tone.

Sharpay flinched a little. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on." Taylor said, staring at her with disgust. "Why else would you spend all your valuable shopping time to drive all the way down here?" Exasperation from hearing nothing about her friend and her pent-up aversions towards Sharpay were now getting the better of her.

Sharpay didn't utter a single retaliatory comment. Crossing her arms, she locked eyes with Taylor, but remained calm and collected. "Where's Gabriella?" She asked.

"She doesn't want to talk to you." Taylor said perversely.

"Where is she, Chad?" Sharpay asked, directing her gaze to him. Chad unenthusiastically pointed his finger to their right and didn't speak, still too absorbed in his own thoughts to acknowledge Taylor's glare.

Sharpay followed his motion and stopped as her eyes rested on a lone figure on the opposite side of the waiting room, hunched over so that her long, dark hair veiled around her head. Sharpay began to walk towards her, but Taylor immediately stood up and stepped in front of her with resolute eyes.

"I need you to move." Sharpay said, beginning to lose her patience.

"She won't talk to you." Taylor said. "She won't talk to any of us. Just leave her alone."

"She's my friend." Sharpay said, her tone becoming harder.

"No, she's _my_ friend." Taylor replied angrily. Gabriella, Sharpay's friend… what a laugh. "How did you even find out about this whole thing anyway?"

Sharpay shifted, trying to look over Taylor's shoulder at Gabriella. "It's all over the news. West High is full of reporters and photographers right now covering the story."

"Oh, well, why don't you go on over there? I'm sure you'd love the extra attention." Taylor snipped, her voice rising.

It took all Sharpay had not to return to her old spiteful ways as Taylor said this. Breathing through her nose very deeply, she bit the inside of her lip and paused before speaking again.

"I know you don't like me, Taylor, but right now is not the time. This is about Troy and Gabriella… not us. Please, let me try and talk to her." Sharpay pleaded.

Taylor's face softened a little at this, and although she still felt wary of Sharpay, she remembered how Gabriella had been willing to give her a chance, even after everything she'd done to her and Troy. With reluctance, Taylor knew she had to give Sharpay that same chance… for Gabriella's sake.

Sighing, Taylor looked away and stepped to the side, clearing Sharpay's path.

"Fine."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gabriella hadn't spoken a word to anyone from the moment she'd walked through the hospital doors. Her usually intelligent and brainy mind had been reduced to a swirling vortex of confusion and turmoil, where all she'd ever known no longer made sense. She was experiencing a myriad of emotions - each one more difficult to control as they bubbled closer and closer to the surface until it was very likely that they would overflow sometime in the near future.

She supported the full weight of her head in her hands as she leaned forward, bent in her seat. She'd been trying to keep her eyes open for as long as she possibly could, for when they shut for even a moment, her head was flooded with images of Troy lying on the ground, covered in his blood.

She didn't remember very much after Troy had gone unconscious. Most of her senses had just seemed to shut down, and she couldn't focus on any one particular thing. She recalled a strong pair of hands lifting her away from Troy, while she screamed in protest as his body disappeared into an ambulance truck and drove off out of sight. She could still hear the blaring siren ringing in her eardrums.

After that, she remembered being in the hospital, although she wasn't quite sure how she'd gotten there in the first place. It was like an imaginary hand had entered a particular section of her memory and wiped it clean, leaving a blank hole where those moments in time should've been.

So much was going through her mind, so many questions she wanted answered and she ached for information. In any other situation, Gabriella would've run to Troy's arms for comfort as he sat with her in her time of need, gently whispering that everything was going to be ok. But Troy wasn't here, and Gabriella didn't know if he was going to be ok. This brought on a whole new emotion - an emotion so palpable that Gabriella felt a physical pain in her stomach, sucking away all normal activity and replacing it with worry, fear, and utter anticipation. God, she wanted him here with her…

"Gabriella?"

She recognized that voice, but didn't look up. Gabriella closed her eyes, trying to relieve her throbbing head, and then snapped them open as another graphic image of Troy flashed before her. How would she ever get to sleep again?

"Gabriella, it's me… Sharpay." Sharpay said hesitantly, kneeling in front of Gabriella as she folded her hands in her lap. She took a breath and paused, trying to find the right words to say to alleviate even a modicum of her pain.

"Gabriella… I - I really don't know how I can make you feel better… I guess nothing but Troy walking through those doors can do that. But… I'm going to try." Sharpay leaned a little closer and dropped her voice considerably.

"He's going to be ok, Gabriella. This is Troy, remember? He's a fighter. Trust me, the one thing Troy hates more than anything else is giving up." Sharpay stopped again and faltered, raising one hand and tentatively placed it on Gabriella's head, running her fingers through her hair in a soothing manner.

"But he can't do this on his own." Sharpay said. "He needs someone to believe he can make it… you need to be strong for him, Gabriella."

Gabriella forced back a sob and finally raised her head, revealing dark streaks of mascara as a few solitary tears ran down her cheeks. The bright light made her eyes temporarily lose focus and she blinked, causing more tears to fall from her watery eyes.

"I-I don't k-know if I c-can…" Gabriella stuttered, her own voice sounding completely alien after remaining silent for so long.

"You_ have_ to." Sharpay said gently, taking her hand supportively and giving it a little squeeze.

"Sharpay, don't you understand?" Gabriella asked, her voice squeaking. "He's _dying_, and there's nothing I can do about it!"

"_Yes,_ there is." Sharpay said firmly. "You need to believe he's going to get through this, for Troy's sake and for yours too. You're going to make yourself sick worrying about him like this." She rose from the ground and sat in the seat next to Gabriella, using her other hand to gently rub her back.

Gabriella sobbed again. "I already am… I feel like I'm dying with him." More tears began to form in the corners of her eyes and she placed her head on Sharpay's shoulder, breathing in deeply as she wiped her wet face with the back of her hand. Sharpay put an arm around Gabriella's shoulder and gave her a little hug.

"It's going to be ok… He's going to be fine." Over and over she repeated these words, wishing she could be of more use. What Sharpay didn't know was that this was the best thing she could've possibly done for Gabriella - to just be there.

A few minutes later, a tall woman with her brunette hair tied back in a tight bun walked towards the Bolton's, an official-looking clipboard in her hands and a tired expression upon her face. Troy's parents stood up immediately and approached her, slightly panicked looks about them.

"How's Troy? What's going on?" Jack asked, unsure if he wanted the answer after picturing this moment for all these hours, each scenario looking more gruesome than the last.

The woman stuck out one hand. "My name is Chloe Andrews, I'm one of the doctors who operated on your son." Both parents shook her hand quickly and she continued with an unreadable countenance. Taylor, Chad, Jason, Zeke, Sharpay, and Gabriella listened attentively.

"Well, I have good news, and bad news." Dr. Andrews said, flipping open to a page in her clipboard. "The good news is that the operation was successful. We were able to get the entire bullet out and repair the damaged muscles and nerves as best as we could."

"What's the bad news?" Troy's mother said as she fearfully clutched her husband's arm.

Dr. Andrews sighed grimly and resumed talking. "The bad news… is that an hour into the operation, Troy slipped into a coma, and we've been unable to bring him back to consciousness."

The tension in the room quickly heightened, and terrified looks appeared on everyone's faces as this news sunk in. Gabriella was completely frozen, unable to speak or think. A coma… her boyfriend of seventeen was in a _coma_.

"We think the most reasonable explanation for this is from extreme loss of blood, although it could be a fair few others." Dr. Andrews said, shifting the clipboard in her arms. The entire party remained silent.

"What does this mean? He can wake up, can't he?" Jack asked softly, his anxiety clear.

Dr. Andrews sighed again, looking like she'd rather not reveal this sort of information. "Well, there's always a chance the patient will awake from a coma, but exactly how long that takes is different with each person and their condition. A person could come back to consciousness in the next hour, day, week… but in Troy's case, I must warn you that it could very well be a month or more before that day. We just never know for sure."

Everyone was quiet, new fear plunging in their stomachs at this news. Everyone was thinking the exact same thing: How could they wait an entire month… or more?

"Can we see him?" Chad suddenly asked, looking up at her with hopeful eyes.

Dr. Andrews gave him a small smile and nodded. "He's just down the hall right now, but I think that family should go first."

Chad nodded as his reply and everyone rose, following the doctor as she led them down a longer corridor to another small sitting area where a few doors stood. Sharpay didn't leave Gabriella's side, gently guiding her into another seat as the teenagers sat down while Troy's parents remained standing, anxious to see their son.

Dr. Andrews stood in front of a door and held it open, giving them a reassuring smile. "He's in here."

Pausing for a moment, Jack took his wife's hand in his and walked into the room along with Dr. Andrews as she shut the door behind them, leaving Gabriella and the others to wait.

Gabriella and Sharpay remained seated for over an hour, neither of them talking to the other. Gabriella's head had taken it's previous place against Sharpay's shoulder again, relieved to have someone there. She was a little surprised with herself for depending on Sharpay, when Taylor had been trying to talk to her ever since they'd arrived at the hospital. She didn't feel like trying to explain the situation to herself and just simply let it be, knowing that she'd never really get to the bottom of it anyway. Instead, her main thoughts were focused on Troy, and everything she'd give up if he would come out of this coma.

She'd been avoiding the room, letting Chad and the others go ahead of her as she sat with Sharpay. Now that Gabriella knew what Troy was up against, she didn't know if she could handle seeing him so weak and fragile… just lying there.

At the same time, all Gabriella wanted was to look at her boyfriend again and see his eyes staring back into hers.

The door opened again and Chad and Taylor came out, each of them with tears in their eyes.

"Gabriella, you can go in now." Taylor said gently.

Gabriella hesitated, looking at Sharpay for help.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Sharpay asked.

Gabriella shook her head and stood up, feeling a little woozy from the sudden motion. "No… I need to do this alone." And giving her friends one last look, she turned around and made her way to the door, the knot in her stomach growing with each step. Pushing the door open, she stared down at the white-tile floor and walked inside. She was torn between her two decisions - to look at him, or not to look. It was tearing her up inside trying to pick one.

"Mr. Bolton, Mrs. Bolton," Dr. Andrews said. "How about we give Miss. Montez a little alone time with Troy."

Gabriella still stared at the floor, trying to focus on anything other than the large hospital bed where she knew Troy was lying. She heard footsteps in front of her, and a strong arm brush her side while a softer hand touched her shoulder gently before opening the door and exiting. As the door clicked behind her, Gabriella heard another set of footsteps and saw Dr. Andrew's black shoes enter her line of vision.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bolton tell me you and Troy are very close." Dr. Andrews said, placing her hand on Gabriella's lower arm comfortingly.

Gabriella didn't respond.

"I know this is hard for you," Dr. Andrews continued in a very soft tone. "But can I ask you to do something - something that may help Troy?"

Gabriella's nodded her head fervently, although she still didn't make eye contact. If it was for Troy, she would do anything.

"In the past, people have woken up from comas by hearing a loved one's voice while they're in their state of unconsciousness. No one can really explain why this is, but this practice is encouraged when a coma occurs. If you could talk to Troy, just for maybe half an hour or so, it could help him wake up sooner. Can you do that for me?" She asked, trying to catch her gaze.

Gabriella paused, and then tearfully nodded again, taking a shaky breath as Dr. Andrews began to walk towards the door. Suddenly, she stopped as her hand touched the handle and she turned to face Gabriella's back again.

"Troy's parents also told me that you have an incredible voice." She said. "I'd say that there's no better time to use that talent than right now." And with that, Dr. Andrews opened the door and slipped out, leaving Gabriella completely alone.

Almost a full minute passed before Gabriella had the courage to raise her head and look at Troy. When she did, a sob escaped her and she quickly walked to him, sitting down in the chair beside his bed as her hands flew to his face. She touched his cheek and shivered at how cold he was… his face was so pale, it made Gabriella wince. She couldn't grasp the full incongruity of it all, even though the live picture was playing right before her eyes… Troy, lying in a hospital bed, trapped in a coma.

"Oh, baby…" She breathed as she ran one hand through his dark brown locks. "Look what he's done to you…" Hr head tilted to the side slightly and she forced down a sob. "I'm sorry I didn't come earlier… but I didn't want to see you like this… because I knew that if I did, it would make everything real. And I don't want it to be real - I want you to be ok… I n-need you to be ok…" She felt her eyes fill with tears again and she angrily blinked them away.

"Dr. Andrews said that I should talk to you… she says that it'll make you get better." Another sob, and she wanted to hit herself for losing it. Taking a long, slow breath, she closed her eyes and exhaled, knowing what she had to do.

"Troy… there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time, and I can't put it off anymore." Gabriella said softly, grazing her fingers over the top of his cold hand. Her eyes glanced over at the monitor by his bed, which showed his heart-beats demonstrated by a thin, green line.

_Beep… beep… beep…_

Gabriella turned back to Troy, pushing back his bangs with her right hand as she spoke again.

"When I first met you - back on New Year's, I thought to myself, 'Wow, this guy is really different. He's not running away from me!'" Gabriella laughed a little through her tears at this and smiled for the first time since they'd arrived.

"But, I told myself that I'd probably never see you again after that night. I mean, it was a one-time thing, right?" She smiled again, remembering how determined she'd been to forget about that adorable, rambling boy at the ski resort, but not having very much success in doing so.

"And then… I saw you again, and I couldn't believe it. I felt like… this couldn't have been _just_ a coincidence." Gabriella paused, feeling a sort of calm peace come over her as she watched Troy's chest move up and down with his rhythmic breathing. He didn't look like he was in a coma - he looked like he was sleeping… and Gabriella wanted nothing more than for him to wake up.

"When we sang our callback song, up on that stage in front of all those people… I was so scared. But then you took my hand, and when we started to sing… I felt it." A reminiscent look passed across her face as she went back to that moment, remembering every second of that night, down to the very last detail.

"I knew that there was something between us - something bigger than I'd ever imagined happening to me." Gabriella smiled at him, even though he couldn't see it.

"I never thought I'd ever feel that way about anybody - until you came along." She said. "I was just so focused on making the grades and not making a fool out of myself in front of everyone that I figured no one would want to get closer to me… the freaky math girl."

She felt a tight knot form in her throat and it constricted, making it difficult to voice her next words.

"But you did… you wanted to know _me_ - the _real_ me, the one I'd been hiding from everybody. You made me feel like I was important… like I _mattered_. You made me feel things I can't even begin to explain, but things I couldn't get enough of. I wanted to feel the way you made me feel for the rest of my life, and I wanted _you _to be the one that was right there beside me." Gabriella hesitantly took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together as she leaned closer.

"You _have_ to get better…" Gabriella said softly, placing her other hand on his pallid cheek. "You just _have_ to. I don't know what I'd do if… if you -" She couldn't bring herself to say those next terrible words. She wouldn't say it. The sheer thought of what might happen incited her to move nearer, wanting them to be as close as possible.

"There's so many things you still need to do in life. Finish high school, go to college, start a career… and you promised to teach me basketball, remember? You still need to teach me how to play basketball…" A small chuckle emitted from her mouth and she sighed, pausing for a moment as she looked Troy over.

"I need you, Troy… I need you so much. I need you to be here, to stay with me…" Her heart wrenched as her eyes stayed glued to his motionless body, unable to believe that this was really happening.

"Everyone knew we were supposed to be together… and I think I knew all along that they were right… because you're the only one I've ever _really_ wanted."

Gabriella felt another sob come on and squeezed Troy's hand tighter as she closed her eyes, forcing her tears not to fall.

"It wasn't by accident that we met, or that I came to East High a week later, or even that we both decided to try out for the musical… it was fate that made it all happen, Troy… it was fate that brought us together… and it was completely out of our control."

And as she suddenly remembered Dr. Andrew's last words of advice, Gabriella began to sing.

"_It's hard to believe, that I couldn't see… you were always there beside me…"_ A tear fell down her face, but she didn't bother to wipe it away and let it fall onto their joined hands.

"_Thought I was alone, with no one to hold… but you were always right beside me…"_

_Beep… beep…_

_"This feeling's like no other… I want you to know…"_

_Beep…… beep……_

_"That I've never had someone, that knows me like you do… the way you do… And I've never had someone as good for me as you… no one like you…"_ Gabriella felt more tears start to trickle, and she couldn't remember her heart feeling heavier than it felt right now. With one last, deep breath, Gabriella started again in a voice barely above a whisper.

"_So lonely before, I finally found…… what I've been looking for…"_

Gabriella sobbed again, burying her head on Troy's mattress and holding his hand close to her, never wanting to let go. She didn't care how long it took for Troy to wake up - she'd never leave his side. Troy had promised so much to Gabriella in the past… it was time for her to make promises of her own.

_Beep……… beep…………beep……………beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep…_

Gabriella slowly raised her head, her mouth slightly ajar as she turned to look at Troy's monitor. The feeling of a thousand knives plunging into her lungs hit her with full force as she stared at the screen.

A thin, green, straight line had appeared.

All at once, nurses and doctors rushed into the room and began to hook Troy up to different machines, Gabriella watching with confusion as she tried to figure out what was going on. She turned back to Troy, whose shirt was now being slashed down the middle, revealing his tight, hard stomach.

"Troy?" Gabriella asked, her voice quivering.

She felt a gently tugging on her arms, and she whipped her head around to see who was pulling her. It was one of the nurses, but she couldn't make out any distinguishing facial features due to the white mask covering half of her face.

"Honey, you need to leave." She said in a slightly urgent voice.

Gabriella frantically shook her head. "No, no, I have to be with him! He needs me! I can't leave just leave!" She turned again and saw the doctors putting something on Troy's chest… she couldn't see…

_They're going to hurt him!_ Gabriella's thoughts screamed in her head as she tried to break free from the nurse's grasp. No matter how much she wriggled and twisted, the nurse kept her firm grip and tried to calm her.

"Clear - "

Suddenly, a muffled sound echoed throughout the room and Troy's body jumped a few inches. Gabriella was so filled with shock that she stopped trying to escape and watched as Dr. Andrews leaned over Troy, making him jump even higher as the muffled noise sounded again.

"Come on, come on…" She was muttering, leaning over him a third time. "I need more!"

A moment later, Troy's body jumped it's highest, and then fell back with a crash. He was still immobile. Gabriella prayed with all she had that Troy would respond to this treatment, and anxiously waited for Dr. Andrews to try again.

But she didn't.

Gabriella stared at them with a horrified look on her face as the doctors stopped moving, grim expressions covering their crestfallen faces. One nurse leaned her head against one of her hands, closing her eyes with a dejected sigh. Another took off his mask and held it loosely at his side as his eyes gazed at the floor. They were all silent.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Gabriella yelled. "HELP HIM! SAVE HIM!" She violently writhed in the nurse's grasp and stumbled forward a few steps, desperate to get to Troy before anyone could stop her. She was too slow, however, and soon found her arms pinned behind her back as the nurse struggled to keep her once-strong hold.

"COME ON! HELP HIM! PLEASE!" Gabriella was screaming so loudly that she felt like her throat was tearing in two. A hot, sick, burning sensation erupted in her stomach, and she felt as though poison was being pumped into her very veins, making every part of her numb with freezing cold.

The doctors looked at her sadly, and a few nurses were wiping their eyes out of pity and grief. Gabriella didn't want their pity - she wanted them to save Troy. They were doctors - that was what they did. Dr. Andrews had somehow appeared right in front of her and was talking. Gabriella barely heard her, still focused on getting to Troy.

"… didn't feel anything… went peacefully… there's nothing more we can do…"

"YES - THERE - IS!" Gabriella yelled. She couldn't breathe properly… it was like all the oxygen in the room has been sucked out, leaving her nothing to survive on. Like a goldfish with no water…

"I'm so sorry, Gabriella - "

"HE'S - NOT - DEAD!" Gabriella screamed, her throat burning as a river of tears burst from her blood-shot eyes and down her cheeks. "TROY! WAKE UP! DON'T LEAVE ME!"

Blinding flashes of light burst before her eyes, and she was unable to make out anything in front of her as she pulled the nurse forward a few inches, not feeling the now-raw skin on her arms. Her sobs were becoming more and more intense with each second that passed.

Finally, she ripped herself away from the nurse and ran to Troy's bedside, tearing away from the other arms that rushed out to grab her. Then, she felt herself falling, and landed on her hands and knees on the cold floor. She began to shiver uncontrollably, one solitary thought penetrating her mind like a paralyzing dart.

Troy was gone.

"No…" Gabriella whispered, her arms quivering underneath her so that she could just barely stay up. "No… please, no…"

Everyone was looking at Gabriella, filled with sorrow and sympathy for this poor teenager who'd just lost someone very close to her heart. Unfortunately, these doctors and nurses had seen cases such as these a thousand times before, but it was on rare occasion that they would witness something as heart-wrenching as this. Usually, the friends and family of the recently departed were too shocked to do or say anything. Obviously, this girl and boy had been much closer than the average teenage couple.

Dr. Andrews tentatively walked behind Gabriella and touched her shoulder consolingly, trying to save her any more pain than she was already experiencing. "Gabriella, let's go…"

Gabriella shuddered. The room was spinning… something as simple as physical contact made her feel queasy, and she felt oddly disconnected from everything and everybody around her as she tried not to throw up. The cold, empty abyss in her soul where Troy used to be ached painfully, and despite the room full of people, Gabriella had never felt more alone.

Almost in a daze, Gabriella rose to her feet in an almost slow-motion sort of way, nearly falling over again before Dr. Andrews caught her. She felt dehydrated, and as if her muscles had been turned to liquid. She wanted to scream again - to cry out, to punch, to vomit, to turn back time and avoid this entire nightmare. A distant memory from the past somehow entered her mind at this particular moment, despite the horrible timing.

_"Well, what really matters is that you're finally together… the world is as it should be."_

Her world no longer existed.

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_"TROY! WAKE UP! DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

She sounded so close… he could hear the desperation - the fear, the madness in her voice. He wanted to see her, to open his eyes and look at her again, even if it was just for one last time.

_"DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

_I'm not going anywhere…_ Troy thought weakly, feeling his energy slowly being sapped out of him as if someone were sipping it through a straw. Her voice was fading… He was running down a long hallway, filled with doors that covered every inch of both sides. Some were open, some were cracked, while others were bolted shut with thick chains that covered the locks.

There was another door, at the end of the hallway… but this one was different somehow…

_"Troy…"_

_I hear you, I just want to look in here real quick…_ Troy thought, making his way closer to the inviting-looking door. But with each step he took, her voice became fainter and fainter. He stopped. He wanted to go into the door and see what lay behind it, but he knew he was forgetting about something… something important.

_Gabriella…_

He suddenly remembered, turning on the spot and ran full-speed. He was going so fast, he felt like he was flying. The doors became blurs until they were no more, and blackness engulfed him.

He kept running…

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One of the doctors had turned his attention away from Gabriella - a man with extremely short, blonde hair, was staring at the monitor, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Chloe… I think you should see this…" The man said in a slow, deep voice.

Dr. Andrews looked up from Gabriella, made sure she was steady, and quickly strode over to the man's side, staring at the screen as well. Disbelief passed across her face as she saw it.

_………Beep………beep………_

A heartbeat.

"Oh my - quick, get him on the respiratory - "

But before she could finish her sentence, she leaned closer to Troy and saw what she was sure was a flicker of movement underneath his closed lids. Waiting a second, she jumped as she saw it again, this time being much more noticeable.

"He's waking up!"

Gabriella's head shot up, her eyes wide and her face stained with her many tears, wondering if she was hearing things. She had to be… Troy was dead. There was nothing for him to wake up from.

But then… his head turned ever-so-slightly, and Gabriella was at his side quicker than the eye could blink. She stared at his face, her fingers gripping the edge of the bed with nerve-wracking trepidation. Everyone was silent - waiting… hoping…

Another twitch, and very slowly… Troy's eyes opened half-way.

Gabriella's breath caught in her throat, too scared to believe. "T-Troy?" She said in a hushed tone.

Troy's ears perked at the familiar voice, and he turned his head with what looked like extreme difficulty. When he was fully looking at Gabriella, he smiled.

"Gabby…"

Gabriella screamed, but this time with pure, immaculate joy. All of the doctors and nurses cheered enthusiastically as a few ran to get Troy's parents and friends, who had gone down a floor to get something to eat. As Troy languidly lifted himself into a sitting position, Gabriella threw her arms around Troy's neck and held onto him as tightly as she could, sobbing into his shoulder as her entire body started shaking convulsively. She clung to him as if her whole life depended on it, drinking in the surging rush of heat returning to his body as she pressed herself against his bare skin, wanting him and needing him and craving his touch all at once.

Troy used all the strength he had left to put his arms around her as well, even though they weren't nearly as tight as Gabriella's - but she could care less. He was alive, and that was all that mattered to her. She began to shake all-the-more as his hands touched her back, and the emptiness inside her instantly disappeared and was made whole again. A few more tears fell down the well-worn path from her eyes to the bottom of her chin, and she took in a shaky breath.

Troy lifted one quivering hand and gently touched her face, wiping away her tears as Gabriella closed her eyes with utter content, putting her hand on his wrist to keep him from removing it.

"Troy… I was so scared… I thought - I was so sure…"

"Shhhh…" Troy said softly, caressing her smooth skin from her cheek to her jaw line in long, sweeping motions. "It's ok… It's ok…"

Gabriella's eyes fluttered open and Troy became temporarily blurry. She blinked, and once her vision became crystal clear again, she leaned forward. Their lips met in a blissful kiss, and every nerve, muscle, and bone in Gabriella's body tingled with electric sensuality. Pulling back, Gabriella leaned her forehead against Troy's and smiled as their fingers interlocked.

"I love you…" Gabriella whispered meaningfully, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Troy smiled, bringing his hand to her face again. Simple words could not describe the love he felt for this beautiful girl in front of him, nor could they tell how much he cared for her. It was an emotion he just couldn't voice or explain. As he stared into her teary brown eyes, Troy felt as if he were looking into her very soul.

He pulled her closer so that their lips were just barely a few inches away - a deep, desirable longing taking over him. "I love you too…" He then paused, shifting his head to the side slightly and leaning forward, placing his mouth dangerously close to Gabriella's ear as he whispered so softly that it made her spine tingle with ecstasy.

"You saved me… my beautiful angel…"

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You didn't think I'd actually let Troy die now, did you? lol, well, actually, I'm thinking about writing a one-shot alternative ending to this chapter about what would've happened if Troy didn't survive - so make sure you look for that in the future!

Not too sure how I did with this chapter... I've been getting distracted lately, seeing as how school for me starts TOMORROW... so all week I've been a little nervous and not fully focused on writing the best I possibly could. Hope it didn't show, but I'm pretty sure it did in a few random spots.

Once again, I thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter: 34. I was astounded, to say the least. I am addicted to your reviews (lol).

And just as a side note, I would've posted this chapter up a few days ago, but I got busy... with my 15th birthday! lol, so I couldn't really find time to post when you've got 9 screaming girls jumping around in your living room all night (haha)

I have one more chapter to go on this fanfic, and then, unfortunetly, it will be over. It'll probably be a very short chapter, just kind of a closing epilogue or something like that. As I said before, school starts for me tomorrow, so I won't have too much time for updating anymore...Read and review!


	24. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

A cool, light breeze was blowing as the moonlight gently shone through the windows, casting a soft glow over the queen-sized bed and its two occupants - one of which was fast asleep and sweetly dreaming carefree dreams as crickets chirped in the background. They created a soothing sort of song, putting anyone who listened into the deepest of slumbers - their jobs completed. But not even the soft hum of the crickets could put the bed's other resident to sleep, despite the long, tiresome day he'd had before collapsing into his soft blankets.

Twenty-six year-old Troy Bolton lay on his back, fully awake and staring up at the dark ceiling as he listened to the sounds of night outside the walls of the bedroom. His rock-hard chest was unclothed, and he pulled the blanket up a little higher to escape the cold air circulating throughout the room. His hands idly played with the edges of the sheets as thoughts wove in an out of his mind.

_Nine years…_ Troy thought to himself incredulously. _I can't believe it's been nine years…_ He closed his eyes for a moment, and even though so much time had passed since 'that day,' he could still remember each detail perfectly. It may have sounded cliché, but Troy felt like he'd just gotten out of the hospital as his family, friends, and Gabriella walking closely behind him, as if afraid to be more than a few steps away in case he had needs to be fulfilled… as if they were afraid they'd lose him again.

A soft rustling caused Troy's thoughts to break and he turned his head to the right. A small smile lifted his lips as he watched the beautiful curly-haired brunette sleeping beside him, her body lifting slightly with each breath she took. He face was expressionless as she slept, undoubtedly exhausted from the rough day of classes she'd had.

Nine years had passed, and yet Gabriella still remained just as stunning as the night Troy had first met her when they were only teenagers. Her eyes were still the dark, almond-colored brown, her long, wavy hair was just as soft and lustrous, although she had grown it out three or four inches longer. And although she had no makeup on and her hair had migrated to every angle imaginable in her sleep, Troy still thought she looked beautiful.

A glint of light caught his eye and Troy looked down, his smile growing a little bigger. A silver ring reflected in the pale moonlight on Gabriella's left hand - a symbol that represented just how much Troy loved her. He was briefly reminded of the day he had first presented her with that ring - how he'd shaken like a leaf as he got down on one knee, fumbling with the small box in his jacket pocket, Gabriella's eyes growing as wide as saucers. He'd had the inside of the ring engraved with the line: _There's not a star in Heaven that we can't reach_. The second after Gabriella had seen it and the first tear of joy rolled down her face, Troy knew that their lives as they knew them were about to change forever.

Troy broke out of his reverie as Gabriella shifted in her sleep again, hugging her pillow closer to her body as she mumbled almost inaudibly. Troy smiled and moved closer to her, placing one hand on the long locks of hair that cascaded down her back. He gently played with it in his fingertips, reminiscing about the past, present, and future. The past was done and over with, the present was always happening… the only question left was, 'What did their future hold for them?'

Troy's fingers strayed to the side of Gabriella's neck, and she stirred from the tickling sensation. Turning onto her back, Gabriella's eyes opened a sliver and she looked up at Troy silently, a small smile beginning to form.

"Hi…" She said sleepily.

Troy grinned and kissed her forehead. "Hi."

"What time is it?" She asked, taking her arms out from underneath the covers and stretching them out in odd positions.

Troy glanced at the clock again. "Around two thirty." He replied, taking one of her tiny hands in his.

Gabriella moaned. "I have a huge test tomorrow… I can't be awake."

Troy chuckled. "And yet, you are."

"Thanks to you." Gabriella said in a mock-cross tone, but was unable to keep a straight face.

"I'm sorry." Troy said. "Do you forgive me?" He gave her a puppy-dog pout and jutted out his bottom lip, making Gabriella giggle.

"Yes, Troy, I forgive you. Now can we _please_ go to sleep?" She asked pleadingly.

Troy's face suddenly grew very soft, and he nodded, unable to take his eyes off her. She was so different, and yet, she was exactly the same as she was nine years ago. Her outward appearance hadn't changed too drastically since high school, but… there was something there that hadn't been there when she was seventeen…

Gabriella looked at him with furrowed eyebrows as she cocked her head slightly. "Troy? What are you looking at?" She asked, raising herself into a sitting position and shaking her tangled curls out of her eyes.

Troy continued to watch her, mesmerized by the light that bounced off her hair and face. One strand lay dangerously close to her eye, and when she moved her head at the right angle, Troy felt a wave of longing break over him and he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms, to feel those curls against his bare skin.

She had definitely changed. No longer was Gabriella Montez… Gabriella _Bolton_, the shy, introverted girl who'd first walked into Mrs. Darbus's homeroom class so many years ago, just trying to convince everyone that she was not another freaky math girl. Now, she was bold and confident, although every bit of her brains had remained inside that beautiful head of hers. Gabriella had changed from someone he'd met, to his friend, to his girlfriend, and finally to his wife. But now… Troy felt that even the highest term you could give couldn't define what the two of them had. It was so much deeper than simple words.

"Troy?" Gabriella said gently, placing one warm hand over his and looking up at him with caring eyes.

Troy paused again and smiled, turning his hand over and taking hers, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it. "It's just… there are times where I wake up in the middle of the night, and I look at you there beside me… and I still can't believe that this is actually my life." He began to rub her knuckles with his thumb, his eyes gazing into Gabriella's. "So much has happened to us… and there's still so much we're destined to experience. But I know that I could have absolutely nothing, and yet… as long as I know you'll always be there next to me… I have everything I need to survive."

A loving smile appeared on Gabriella's lips and she moved closer to him, feeling the same wave of longing that Troy had previously experienced. It was true, they _had_ been through much more than the average couple. But then again, they were never really what you'd call 'average', were they? No, definitely not average. But it was something different… it was much better, and Gabriella wouldn't trade it for the world.

"I know exactly what you mean…" She whispered. Putting one hand behind his neck, she gave him a tender kiss, feeling her unchanging butterflies flutter around in the pit of her stomach as Troy leaned backwards onto his pillow, bringing Gabriella with him.

The kiss deepened, and continued to intensify with each passing second, until Gabriella regretfully pulled back. Her eyes remained closed and she rested her forehead against Troy's as he ran his left hand through her hair tenderly.

Gabriella sighed, hating her chemistry professor at that moment. "This test counts for half my final grade…" She said softly. "I really need to sleep."

Troy's spirits fell, but he opened his eyes and gave her a small smile. "I know." He said. "I'm sorry…"

Gabriella leaned forward again and kissed him gently. "Don't be. And if it makes you feel any better… I don't have anything planned for tomorrow night…" A sly grin erupted across her face, and her eyes shone with fiery ardor.

Troy returned the grin. "Tomorrow night it is." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him, letting her rest her head against his chest as she pulled the covers up. She draped her right arm across his midriff and squeezed him gently as she kissed his jaw line.

"I love you." She whispered, kissing the same spot again.

Troy smiled, his thoughts taking him back to the day he'd first heard her say those wonderful words up on the rooftop of East High. Closing his eyes, he could still see seventeen year-old Gabriella looking up at him with those enticingly captivating orbs, so filled with happiness and just a tiny trace of fear shining in them as she had looked at Troy. He could still see her shivering in her beautiful white winter formal dress that had fit her so perfectly nine years ago.

_Nine years ago…_

Troy kissed the top of Gabriella's head and held her even closer. Nine years may have passed, but to Troy, no amount of time could ever change the way he felt about the girl he held in his arms at that moment. It was the same exact emotion he'd experienced the first time they'd sang together, which had strengthened after singing again on the stage in front of their entire school, until it continued to grow and intensify with each moment he had spent with her. Each day, he felt his love grow even stronger than before, creating a bond like no other to reciprocate a feeling like no other. _Nothing_ could break that bond.

"I love you too…" Troy whispered to Gabriella, leaning his head on top of hers and breathing in deeply. As he exhaled, he closed his eyes and almost immediately began to dream… A dark stage, a moon and star shining overhead, and two love-struck teenagers beginning to sing as soft piano music played in the background.

* * *

Well... that's the end. I'm so sorry it took me so long to get the last chapter up, but school and volleyball and a million other things have kept me extreamly busy these past 2 weeks. I can't believe I'm done with the story... I never thought I'd write so many chapters as I did. I'm even more surprised at how many reviews I got. I was only expecting like, 100 tops... you guys are so great. Your reviews are what kept me going and continuing to write new chapters and work my hardest to get them just right. There are soooooooo many people to thank, but sadly, I can't remember them all. Just know that each one of your reviews made a huge difference to me.

This was my very first time actually writing something and putting it on a place where other people could read and review it, so I was incredibly nervous about what everyone would think. Now that I know how many of you liked this story, I've been inspired to write even more and I will post my next story as soon as I possibly can. I'm working on a few one-shots, so I'll put them up first to get them out of the way, but then I have another actualy story I'm dying to write. I'm not going to tell anyone what its about, because I'm still trying to work out specific details. What I can tell you is that it's definetly not going to be as long as this story. At least, as of right now it's not going to be this long... I'm estimating about ten chapters, but it may be even shorter than that. I can't be sure at this point.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone who read this fanfic, and I will PM anyone who has specific questions about anything in any chapter that you don't understand or didn't quite get. Don't be afraid to ask: )


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